Legacy of the Leaf
by Shang
Summary: Next generation fic. With the history behind Uchiha clan, Enkou sets out on a quest to prove his loyalty to Konoha and become a respected shinobi of the Leaf. But trials before him certainly won't be easy to beat. Will he manage to fulfill his dreams? R
1. Enter Uchiha Enkou!

Yup, I know… another next generation fic. I'd promise that it's the last, but frankly, if the popularity will be high, then it won't be, coz I have more ideas concerning future "Naruto" that I'd be willing to put to life if I'll see a point in doing so.

But to calm all you NNG fans out there: the upload of this fic will not effect NNG in any way. Right now this is just a pilot to see if anyone will be interested in reading. If this piece will get a fanbase, then I'll turn it into a regularly updated tale. So, to all you readers: if you enjoy this story and wish to know what happens next, **review!**

At the beginning I'd also like to point out that with this piece I wanted to combine the elements of both NNG and "Those…", adding a few original ones that didn't cut to the final version of either from above… and so, for example, the gennin exam in this fic is different then a simple "bell test", but the teams are once more 3-manned. Well, those of you who read my, other two next generation fics will see some resemblance in the structure and setting, but this is still a character-driven tale, like the original "Naruto" supposed to be (until it went into Part II).

With that said, I believe there's nothing else left for me to do then invite you to read the very first chapter of "Legacy of the Leaf"!

**Chapter #1: Enter Uchiha Enkou!**

A man with long, black hair sat at the desk, scanning the papers before him with his hazel eyes. Dressed in a black t-shirt, covered by a samurai-like, green vest, he left his headgear with the fire symbol on the desk, not giving it much attention. He also didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that another figure appeared in the room. He didn't rise his head and only spoke up calmly, perfectly aware of who the new arrival was: "You're late, Naruto-san…"

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama" the visitor bowed slightly, even though the other man was still going through the documents. "I… overslept" he added, scratching the back of his head in shame. The guest was a man around thirty-two years of age with short, spiky, blond hair and sky-blue eyes. He wore a jet-black jacket, decorated by a large, yellow whirlpool on the back, a line that went down the buttons in the same color and a pair of blue flames on the sleeves. A hitae-ate with a leaf symbol covered his forehead, while his cheeks carried whisker marks.

"Well, either way, it's fine" the Fire Shadow replied, picking out a sheet of paper and handing it to the blond: "I have a lot of duties, so I'll make this brief: this is the file of the gennin team I assigned to you this year. All the information you need should be there…"

Naruto went through the document quickly, narrowing his eyes upon noting the name of the last member of his cell: "This kid… are you sure? A lot of people will be pissed if he'll become gennin and it won't be easy for the brat either…"

"I know" the Hokage assured him, still seemingly paying little attention to the guest. "That's preciously the reason why I'm placing him under your care. Frankly, all three of those youngsters will require guidance. I wouldn't call them a troublesome bunch, but without a doubt each has issues that I'm hoping you'll help them resolve."

The blond just gazed back at the paper before him, hesitating for a moment. Finally he turned around and headed for the window, stopping just before he was about to leave: "I'll do my best, Nanadaime-sama" he announced and then he was gone…

---A little earlier, another place---

"Enkou, wake up or you'll be late!" a man with raven-black, gelled-up hair called as he placed a katana on his back. He wore a black t-shirt and short, white pants, completing the look with a pair of black, shinobi sandals and a headband.

In a flash a boy, twelve years of age, appeared downstairs, already fully in gear. He had short, black, gelled-up hair in a similar fashion to his father and a pair of black eyes. He wore a dark blue t-shirt with a symbol of a paper fan on the back and a little baggy, white pants. One could also note a headband with Konoha's symbol located on the boy's forehead: "Hmm… you're up awful early today…"

"Well, it's not everyday that one officially becomes a ninja" stated the boy, Enkou, with a wide smile, crossing his arms. "And don't think I've forgotten your promise, dad" he added, pointing to the blade on the man's back: "You said I'll get Kusanagi once I become gennin! So, cough it up" he added, extending his hands.

"Not yet…"

"What the hell?" the boy snapped annoyed. "You promised!"

"And I intend to keep that promise" the man assured him, making his son look at him, confusion spread all over his face. "You'll soon understand" he announced, seeing the skeptical look in Enkou's gaze. "For now get to school" he said and after a moment of hesitation, the boy ran out of the compound at top speed. The man merely let out a sigh at the sight, slowly following in the youngster's footsteps.

Enkou reached his destination in a record time, yet stopped just before the classroom, calmly walking in. All the other graduates seemed to already be there, chatting with one another and making a huge commotion. The boy found it as no surprise that none even seemed to notice his arrival. His eyes however then caught a sight of a girl, sitting far away in the corner, also avoiding any form of interaction.

She had long, brown hair, clipped in a high ponytail and hazel eyes. She wore a brown, sleeveless top that revealed her belly and short, white cargo pants. She tied her forehead protector around her neck, while Enkou also noted a large scroll located on her back.

_Hawatari Rokku_ the boy remembered, looking at the young kunoichi. _From all the people in my class, she's the only one, besides me, who never made any friends. She's always avoiding people and rarely talks, so I don't know much about her, but she's certainly not a social type…_ but with that thought, he suddenly got pushed, stumbling to the front in order to keep his balance.

"Move it, dumbass, you're in my way" announced a boy his age as he walked through the doorframe, entering the classroom. "Seriously, letting someone of your kind become gennin is a joke, but at the very least you should try to not annoy people with your petty existence, dead last" he added, calmly walking towards his desk. Enkou however was not about to let all of this go and in a flash grabbed his classmate by the collar.

"Listen here, bastard, I'm not gonna let you push me around! Apologize, dammit, or I'll kick your ass!" he threatened, yet the other boy seemed completely unfazed by this. He just gazed at the hand that held him with a bored look and then shifted his green eyes back to raven-haired kid, his face still as emotionless as ever.

"Don't get tough with me, Uchiha" he warned simply with a monotone voice. "Despite what you may think, I won't hesitate to hurt you. I find the very fact your father was allowed back into the village demeaning and studying the history of your clan I simply don't trust the likes of you…" he announced, this time coldly, making a vein appear on Enkou's forehead, yet before the boy could reply, a new voice joined the conversation.

"Causing trouble on your last day?" asked a man with medium-length, black hair, clipped in a ponytail and a scar going horizontally across his face. He kept his arms crossed as he glared at the two, instantly making both boys apologize. "Good, then get to your seats" the chuunin said in an ordering tone, while the boys complied.

_Arashi Shindo_ Enkou thought to himself with a twitching eye as he observed the one who pushed him. The boy had spiky, brown hair with a ponytail falling down his back and wore a black t-shirt with a green vest on top of that. His pants were somewhat baggy and in the same color as the waistcoat, while his right arm was nearly completely wrapped in bandages. A hitae-ate with the Leaf symbol on his forehead completed the look. _Supposedly the top student of our class, who thinks he's the king of the world. I really hate this guy._

The man with the scar only sighed at the sight, shaking his head: "_Why is it that every time I see those two together, their relationship seems to worsen? It's not that big a deal for Shindo, but for Enkou something like this isn't good_" he summed up as the two took their seats. The chuunin decided to shake this off and spoke up, gaining the attention of the class: "First off I'd like to congratulate you all on passing the final exam and becoming shinobi! But keep in mind you are merely gennin and the journey ahead is very hard. From now on you'll receive duties, which you'll have to fulfill for the good of the village. You'll be divided into three-man teams, each under supervision of a jounin. He or she will be your guide during these missions. Also, since we wanted to balance the teams, I have already assigned you to your cells, basing my judgment on your skills and grades. Here are the teams…" he began, reading from the list.

"_Oh man, a random selection!_" Enkou complained, grabbing his head. "_This isn't good! What if I land in a team with people I don't get along well? But, now that I think about it, is there anyone I actually do get along with?_" he questioned and for some reason shifted his head towards Rokku, shivering at the very thought: "_Well, whatever… as long as it won't be that Shindo bastard, I'm cool with it…_"

"Next stop is team number four" announced the chunnin, completely ignoring comments that came from the members of the previous cell about the choice: "Hawatari Rokku… Arashi Shindo… and Uchiha Enkou…"

"NO!" our young hero freaked, completely devastated.

---An hour later---

"Where the hell is he? Enkou snapped, totally annoyed. "All the other teams have already went somewhere with their instructors! Even Iruka-sensei disappeared somewhere! Just wait till I get my hands on that lame excuse of a jounin!"

"Sit your butt down and shut up already!" now it was Shindo, who lost his temper. "You're really starting to work on my nerves! Not only do I get stuck on a cell with two, freakiest people in the class, now I need to listen to a drama queen about how much her life sucks! Man, that's annoying…"

"Well, I'm not thrilled getting you as my teammate either" the young Uchiha assured him angrily, but quickly restrained himself and calmed down, staring at the other boy. "But there's no helping it really, so I suggest we at least try to get along. How about it?" he asked, slowly extending his hand, yet the brown-haired boy only glanced at it and then turned away from the peace offering.

"What's the point in socializing with the Uchiha? You'll just betray me. That is the only thing your clan is good in. It's even more pointless, since you're just a nobody who got assigned to the same team I did for the sake of balance. You do realize the reason we're in the same cell is because you stink as a ninja, right?" he said in insulting manner, making anger blossom in Enkou anew.

"That's it!" he roared, pressing his face against Shindo's. "I'm gonna beat you senseless and then we'll talk who's weaker then who! I don't care that you're an Arashi, I won't let you badmouth my clan just because you feel like it!"

"Won't you now?" the ponytail kid asked with a smirk in a playful voice. "Well, I accept your challenge. Frankly I was hoping to do this for ages. Just name the place and time…"

"Guys, cut it out…" Rokku begged shyly, but neither of the two seemed to hear her.

"How about here and now?" asked Enkou and without even waiting for a reply, he launched a kick to young Arashi's face…

_**---a clash between friends!---**_

And this concludes the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave a review after reading. I could explain a few things about the characters at this point, just to defend myself from possible accusations, but I'll let that slip… I assure you that, just like NNG, this tale is generally planned out from start to finish and the characters weren't choose randomly.

With that said, until next time, hopefully.


	2. Boiling Point

Well, writing this chappie turned out to be quite problematic… this may be due to the fact I was writing three fights simultaneously and it was hard separating them so that each would be original in its own right. I'm not sure how that went, but I at least hope it turns out okay.

I wish to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. It means a lot. I still haven't officially decided whether to make this a regular series or not (reviews help in the matter), but for now there's this chapter and we'll see what happens.

I must admit I was kinda surprised though that there were some of you that claimed they knew who the Hokage was, considering his an OC who doesn't even have any connection with the characters from the manga (Kakashi excluded). I do wonder who you believed he was.

And now, with that written, lets move on to the chapter itself:

**Chapter #2: Boiling Point**

_**Title Page:**_ Enkou is holding tight to a growing bean stock, that reaches the sky

Enkou launched a kick straight to Shindo's face, yet the young Arashi managed to duck under the assault, following with an uppercut to his opponent's chin as he came to a stop. The heir of the Uchiha widen his eyes at this, immediately flipping back to avoid the attack and upon landing safely on his feet, he charged forward, his fists ready.

With a horizontal swing, Enkou went for his adversary's face again, only to have the latter block the attack with his left hand and launch a knee to the other boy's stomach. The young Uchiha managed to stop assault with his free hand, but to this Shindo merely smirked, jumping to the air and throwing his other knee up, smashing his opponent's chin.

Momentary stunned, the black-haired preteen was left wide open for a follow-up; a chance the heir of the Arashi would not miss. The instant his foot touched the floor, Shindo spun around, delivering a spin kick to the other boy's chest, sending him crashing against the wall.

As his back hit the wall with a 'thud', Enkou's face twisted with anger, while his hands traveled to the weapon hostels. Seeing this Rokku flinched, getting a bit pale: "Enkou-kun, w-what are you doing?" she yelled, but the last of the Uchiha didn't listen as he unleashed the projectiles at his opponent.

The shuriken flew through the air with a whistle, spinning wildly as they did. Shindo made nothing of it, easily dodging most of the shinobi stars, managing to catch two between his fingers. With his face as calm as ever, he straightened himself, giving his adversary a look of superiority as he spoke: "Using deadly weapons in a sparring match… that's low, even for an Uchiha" he stated, angering Enkou even further.

With fury the raven-haired preteen sprinted at his opponent, putting his body into a violent spin: "Konoha Senpuu!" he called out, throwing a spin kick to Shindo's surprised face: "_Isn't that… Rock clan's taijutsu?_" he questioned, ducking under the assault.

His amazement grew upon realizing the first attack to be feint, seeing the second kick coming, this time sweeping near the floor. Allowing his instinct to take over, the heir of the Arashi bounced off the ground with the use of his hand, making the assault go bellow his feet. Enkou did not stop there however as his body kept spinning, launching a third kick to his adversary's figure.

Stuck in mid-air, the number one rookie had no way to dodge, thus formed a block to stop the attack. As the kick connected, the impact send him flying, soon coming to a sliding stop on the desk. He had no time to rest though as Enkou was already in front of him, thrusting his leg up, aimed right at his chin: "Konoha Shoufuu!"

To this Shindo instantly bended back, having the assault miss just by inches. But also this was no the end as the last of the Uchiha leaned forward, throwing a drop kick at his opponent. This time however the heir of the Arashi was quick to react as he flipped back, hitting the last of the Uchiha's face, sending him flying back before his arrack reached its target.

Enkou's anger though forbid the boy to lose so easily, pushing his hand downwards, providing the raven-haired boy with some ground. Using the momentum, he put his body into a spin and facing the number one rookie once more, he rested his foot on the desk, using it to blast himself at the other graduate in the attempt to ram him.

Seeing this, Shindo thrust his legs back, making them hit the end of the desk hard enough to lift the other end up, rising a barricade with which the young Uchiha collided. The maneuver cost the heir of the Arashi his balance though, forcing the boy to flip back again, his back nearly going through the classroom window.

Soon Enkou strafed left, appearing from behind the desk and jumped forward, once more going for the number one rookie. Shindo easily dodged the assault by throwing himself on the back and grabbing the raven-haired boy by the shirt, he tossed him out the window, straight through the glass.

"Shindo-kun, t-this is going t-too far!" Rokku tried to stop the two, but failed miserably due to her stammering. "P-please stop, before one of you really gets hurt" she begged, but the heir of the Arashi merely gave her a glare as he replied, worryingly calm: "This is what he wanted. You should not get involved, especially since it's between me and him. In actuality, this is for the best of the group; it's better for that low-rank to know his place. That way we might avoid getting betrayed by him later on."

"B-but…" the kunoichi began, but never got to finish as the number one rookie jumped out the window after Enkou, leaving her alone in the classroom.

In the backyard, the last of the Uchiha was already back on his feet when Shindo landed before him, a stoic expression plastered on his face as he gazed at his adversary. The raven-haired preteen huffed, sending his rival a death glare, but seeing no reaction, he just resumed the fight, charging at the heir of the Arashi again.

Enkou threw a straight punch to his opponent's face, yet also this time the number one rookie easily blocked the assault, grabbing the fist. The Dead Last wasted no time though, immediately launching a second hand, this time from below, going for Shindo's chin. The preteen's body reacted on its own before the heir of the Arashi could think, stopping the incoming attack with the other hand.

The last of the Uchiha smirked at the predicament, quickly flipping his right arm, making his adversary feel something tightening around his hand. Glancing at it quickly, he realized a bit too late: "_String!_"

With a sudden motion Enkou had both his opponent's hands tied together before the boy's chest, leaving the number one rookie open. Holding onto the string with his left hand, the raven-haired gennin spun on his foot, throwing a kick to Shindo's face, only to have him duck under the attack.

In a flash the heir of the Arashi spun his arms, flipping the string and before his adversary could react, tied what was binding him around the young Uchiha's leg. With a yank the number one rookie brought Enkou's leg down and charged forward, ramming the other boy with his elbow.

The sudden impact made the raven-haired preteen release his grip on the string as he took a few steps back to remain standing. Shindo was not about to let his get off that easily and jumped forward, launching a spin kick of his own, only he managed to deliver the blow to the last of the Uchiha's chest, sending his opponent to the ground.

At this time Rokku reached the backyard, seeing the young Arashi untying his hands, while the other boy slowly rose to his feet, the string around his leg already broken and laying on the ground. The kunoichi could sense anger beaming from Sasuke's son, who not once took his eyes off his adversary.

"Still you get up?" Shindo asked mockingly, yet his face remained indifferent. "Even someone as dumb as you should be able to determine the gap by now. Don't you realize something so simple? You cannot win…"

"Shut up!" Enkou shoot back, fist hand clenched in a fist tightly. "You keep calling me a traitor like you knew me… what gives you the right to judge based on my clan alone? Would you like me to do the same to you? Coz, surprise, I know what happened five years ago! Out of the two, I'd imagine it's y…"

"I'm not gonna allow Uchiha to lecture me!" the heir of the Arashi snapped, for the first time truly losing his composure. "You know of five years ago? That's not possible, since Hokage-sama himself is not familiar with the whole story! And I will not have a mediocre ninja speak of that so casually, much less someone of your, filthy blood!"

"_Those two…_" Rokku shivered as the tension grew. "_This is not rivalry or a testosterone thing… they truly hate each other_" she noted, shrinking a bit as the raven-haired boy visibly boiled on the inside.

"That's it!" Enkou exploded as his hands began shaping seals, much to Shindo's surprise. Rokku only managed to grab her head in panic as the young Uchiha took a deep breath, gathering chakra in his throat: "I'll make you take everything back!" he promised himself as he bended forward to release the technique: "Katon: Goukak…" but before he could finished, his mouth got covered by someone's palm, stopping the jutsu halfway.

"I'm not exactly one to give lectures on appropriate behavior, however I do believe this, little sparring of yours have gone a tad too far" a calm voice announced, releasing Enkou, who immediately cough out some smoke from his mouth. "While I'm not against rivalry among comrades, life and death battles between such is something I will not tolerate, especially in my own team!"

At those words the young Uchiha turned around to see a man with black and yellow cloak with whisker-marks on his cheeks. Shindo merely scanned the new arrival suspiciously, while Rokku walked over to the blond and bowed slightly in his direction: "T-thank you for stopping t-these two, ojisan… I… I…"

"Don't worry about it" the man responded with a smile, hoping to make the girl feel more comfortable. "I suppose some of it is my fault anyway, me being late and all… but I'm here now and I wish to make one thing straight" he added, turning to the two boys with a glare that send shivers down their spines: "There will be no killing among teammates! Whoever dares to disobey that rule… well, trust me when I say that you don't wanna know what awaits" he concluded with a grim face, just to smile again the next instant: "And now lets get down to business, shall we?" he asked, rubbing his hands.

"_Who the hell is this freak?_" the young Arashi wondered as he followed the man and his teammates out of the schoolyard. Their real challenge was about to begin…

_**-hate among teammates… and the 'mysterious' arrival-**_

And this pretty much concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and do leave a review before going _*makes puppy eyes*_ Also, if you were surprised over Enkou using Lee's techniques… well, as those of you who read my, other stories may have noticed; in my tales everything has its reason, you just need to wait to find out about it. Below I place the jutsu translation (as usual). Thanks for tuning in:

_Konoha Senpuu_ (Leaf/Konoha Whirlpool)

_Konoha Shoufuu _(Leaf/Konoha Rising Wind)


	3. Uzumaki Naruto!

And here's another update of LoL (I think I should find a better, short version for this tale ^^'). Frankly this is mostly thanks to the fact that this chapter was nearly done even before I began working on chapter 2, so all it took were few lines to finish up. Good thing too, considering how little free time I had in the past week.

I wish to thank everyone who reviewed the story up till now. I'm still concerned with the number of reviews personally and as such I still have not officially decided to keep this tale going regularly yet, but since the chapter was done anyways… basically, with limitations on the free time I recently received, I DO require some motivation to keep writing, thus I do ask that you review, telling me what you think of the fic so far.

And now, lets get down to business:

**Chapter #3: Uzumaki Naruto!**

_**Title Page:**_ mountains; team four is going down the stoup on snowboards; Rokku out front is easily controlling her slide, Shindo is up in the air, performing a stunt, while Enkou falls down flat on the snow

Iruka ate the ramen peacefully, sucking in more noodles, but he stopped halfway through the process as he felt someone's presence. Quickly he gazed to the side, spotting a man with gelled-up, black hair, wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of white pants: "Ah… what can I do for you, Sasuke?" he asked, returning to his meal.

"Sorry to bother you, Iruka-san" the man replied, bowing slightly as he took the seat next to the chuunin. "I was just wondering about something. As you probably realize, today my son graduated from the Academy and…"

"You'd like to know about his jounin instructor?" the scar-faced man finished with a smirk.

"Yes" the head of the Uchiha nodded, awaiting Iruka's reply. The chuunin swallowed another portion of his meal and then picked out some documents, handing them over to the curious visitor: "These are the notes concerning my class. I believe you'll find your answer there" he announced.

Sasuke took the paper and studied its content, smirking a few times: "Are you sure this year the teams were balanced as well? That first one seems to be awfully powerful by comparison" he noted, but the scar-faced man seemed unfazed by that statement: "Fear not, I have confidence in my judgment…"

"I see" the Sharigan user nodded once more, shifting his attention back to the list and then widening his smile at the info he was looking for: "Him of all people… this is quite ironic. Is it Hokage-sama's doing? I'd imagine he's behind it…"

"Well, he did insisted upon it" Iruka replied seriously. "But I wouldn't be so happy if I were you. While I agree he's the most capable of running such a team, I'd say there's also a high chance your son won't make it to gennin because of him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, remember that bell test Kakashi gave you all those years back?" he asked, receiving a weak nod as an answer. "Well, Naruto's test is not that simple. He told me all about it. It's way harder then the one you took and requires a lot more then teamwork to succeed…"

"Is that so?" Sasuke responded with a smirk. "That only means Enkou will have to try harder…"

-That time, elsewhere-

"Well, for starters I believe proper introductions are in order" announced the mysterious, whisker-marked man as he crossed his arms, sitting on the rail. "What I would like to know is your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, plans for the future… anything you feel that needs to be said so that we can get better acquainted with each other…" he added, sending a glare towards the two boys.

"Then how about you start with yourself?" Enkou said, pointing a finger at his instructor. "You just pop out of nowhere and state you're our jounin sensei! That's just suspicious! And why the hell were you this late?" he snapped, making the blond raise an eyebrow.

"Okay, I suppose that's fair" the man admitted, calming the young gennin a bit. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What I like is ramen in general, though it annoys the hell outta me to wait those three minutes after you pour the water in. There's nothing I'd hate, there are things that tick me off however. As for dreams… well, I'm still working on that actually" he concluded, throwing a quick glance to the side. "Your turn. We'll start with the ladies" he announced, gazing at the only girl in the group.

"My name is Hawatari Rokku" the kunoichi replied quietly, lowering her head. "I like spending time outdoors, especially in the mountains, and nature overall. I feel great dismal towards people who judge others too quickly. My hobby is gardening and as for dreams, I…" she began, yet stopped suddenly and as Naruto patiently waited, it did not seem like she wanted to continue.

"Alright, lets move forward" the jounin finally announced, shifting his gaze at the first boy: "Arashi Shindo. There's hundreds of things I dislike, for example Enkou here, but nothing I'd particularly enjoy. When it comes to dreams… I wouldn't call them that, coz I'll most definitely fulfill them, but my ambition is to find a certain person and retrieve what was stolen from me…"

"_That much should be obvious_" the Kyuubi vessel thought to himself, giving the boy a weak nod and then turned to the final member of his team: "Well, you're the last one…"

"I'm Uchiha Enkou! I like manga and meat! I hate people who think too highly of themselves and look down on others for no, apparent reason! When it comes to hobbies, then I don't think I really have any, but my dream is to become a respected shinobi of Konoha and prove to everyone that Uchiha truly is a clan of the Leaf!" he proclaimed, making the blonde's eyes widen, while a barely visible smirk crept onto his face. He also noted that Rokku gazed at the boy with a mix of surprise and admiration, if only to a small extend.

"_Well, what do you know_" Naruto concluded and then got up from his spot: "Okay, that'll do for the time being. Let us talk about your duties for tomorrow; we'll be playing a little game…"

"Game?" the kunoichi repeated curiously. "What sort of game?"

"It'll be a survival training" the blond replied immediately. "A very special one. Your opponent will be me and the test itself will determinate which of you will proceed further as Konoha gennin" at those words Enkou's jaw hit the ground, Rokku's eyes widen, while Shindo merely flinched slightly. "Judging from your reaction I'm assuming you didn't know… well then, let me enlighten you: out of 45 Academy graduates only 15 are recognized as gennin. The rest get send back to the Academy. What I'm saying is that the upcoming exam is very hard with a failure rate of 66%" he added with an annoying smirk.

"What the hell?" the young Uchiha snapped. "Then what was the point in graduating?"

"That was to separate those who wouldn't stand a chance of becoming gennin from others" the man responded simply with a shrug. "As jounin, we have a lot of important duties, it wouldn't be wise to waste our time testing people who don't even possess the skills necessary of being shinobi" he explained, reaching for his pocket: "All the information you'll need for tomorrow I've put on these printouts, along with the date and place, Bring all your ninja gear, coz you might need it…" and with that he was gone.

Shindo didn't pay much attention to the note. He just read it and then crushed it in his fist. Rokku on the other hand shivered, imagining what was coming. Enkou appeared to be the most nervous, as his body shook: "_I cannot fail here!_"

-The next day-

The trio gathered in the place mentioned on the notes given to them by Naruto: it was an opened field with a stone monument in the center and a forest surrounding the area. The young shinobi waited for their teacher as the sun slowly began rising on the horizon. The blond jounin didn't make them wait too long, appearing a few moments after them and without saying a word, he prepared an alarm clock, placing it next to the monument.

Then he turned to his cell, picking out a single, small bell from his pocket: "I'll get right to the point" he announced calmly, showing them the tiny object: "As you can see, I have a bell in my hand. Basically your objective will be to take it away from me. Whoever manages to grab it, can consider him or herself successful, since that person will finish this exam. However you should note there's just one bell, so only one of you can clear this test that way…" he noted, waiting a moment for the information to sink in. "The instant the bell no longer lies in my possession is the very same moment this training is over. But just so you won't get any, big ideas, there's a time limit; you only have three hours to take the bell. After that the exam is over, regardless to everything…"

"That's not very fair, Naruto-sensei" stated Rokku shyly, making the man gaze at her. "W-why were we separated into three-man teams, if only one of us can become gennin to begin with?" she asked, but the blond didn't seem to be moved by that at all.

"I didn't finish with the rules" he assured her, tying the bell to his belt. "The objective of this test is for you to get the bell, however there's another way in which you can succeed. In the surrounding forest I have hidden two scrolls. They may be the key to your success, since to get them you won't have to fight me like in the case of the bell. Each person will need only one scroll, but since it's much easier then getting the bell, there's an extra rule to that route; while getting the bell ultimately ends the exam, finding the scroll does not. In simple terms that means that even if you do find the scroll, you'll have to keep hold of it until the time runs out or someone grabs the bell. Until either of the above happens, I'm allowed to go after you and steal the scroll you obtained…"

"_I see…_" Shindo thought to himself, narrowing his eyes. "_This is all to even the odds. Getting the bell is harder, but assures victory. Furthermore, once you do get the scroll, it's not said you need to worry only about Naruto-sensei… there are just two, so ultimately someone is left without a scroll. That person, in order to pass the test, may go after his teammates and steal the scroll for himself. It's also unlikely for those that get the scrolls to help the other with the bell, since their prize can be stolen in the process. Basically, it's a competition where everyone's an enemy…_"

"Now, before we start, one final thing" the blond announced, turning on the alarm clock. "Keep in mind that I do not need to pass any of you, so a possibility all of you will go back to the Academy exists. Also, should running into me, I suggest fighting with the intent to kill, otherwise there's no point in you trying at all, coz there's no way you'll be able to get the bell or protect the scroll. This is the only time I'll allow you to go all out against a fellow, Leaf shinobi, so you might wanna use it, just for the heck of it. Are these rules clear?" he asked, having the three nod weakly in agreement. "Then lets not waste more time. Ready and… BEGIN!"

_**-open the doors to adventure-**_

And so this chapter is complete. Hope you enjoyed it. I also hope that the new gennin exam will prove entertaining enough. I must admit thinking of something that I'd consider even half as good as the original bell test was a pain, but I do believe I did a decent job at elast. Do review, as it'll help keep me motivated to continue with that tale.

Thanks a bunch for tuning in and until next time, hopefully.


	4. Bad Blood

Man, this chapter proven to be hell to write. I was trying to think of some, original maneuvers that I haven't used up till now anywhere, but with as many fights I wrote, that surely wasn't easy. Hopefully I at least did a decent job.

As you probably realized, NNG got updated also. I was aiming to add "Those…" into the mix, but its latest installment is also quite problematic… perhaps it's some, annoying, writer's block? Who knows? Hopefully with the next update I'll manage to bring you all, three fics.

As always I wish to thank those who sacrificed their time to review. It means a lot and certainly helps me motivate myself to keep this story going, despite having so little, free time. Thanks a bunch.

Don't think there's more to say then to invite you to the newest update of LoL:

**Chapter #4: Bad ****Blood**

_**Title Page:**_ Enkou is sitting in a meditating position with a bunch of crows taking flight around him

"Let me guess" Naruto asked with a sigh, staring at the student before him. "You wish to fight me head on" he said as Enkou stood in his battle stance, ready to charge.

"Naturally" replied the young Uchiha confidentially. "It's pointless going after the scrolls, since you can take them back anytime. But, if I get the bell, it's an automatic win, is it not?" he asked matter-of-factly, making the blond sweat drop at the statement: "_In actuality, most people would come to a conclusion fighting me at a gennin level is the pointless of the two… well, doesn't matter, at least I'll get to see what this guy is capable of…_"

"_What a pinhead…_" Shindo commented as he observed the whole scene from his hideout.

"Here I come!" the boy announced, reaching for his holster and tossing a barrage of shuriken at the jounin. Naruto easily evaded the attack by strafing left, yet immediately he found Enkou running at him with his fists ready. Throwing a straight punch to the man's head, the young gennin forced the whisker-marks to duck under the assault only to see a knee coming straight for his face.

Also this proven to be unsuccessful as the Kyuubi vessel blocked the attack with his hand and using the knee as a spring board, he bounced up, somersaulting over the preteen and landed behind him, his back turned towards the raven-haired ninja.

Enkou wasted no time and spun around, kunai already in his grip, cutting from the side where he assumed was his opponent's head. Naruto saw this coming though and grabbed his arm by the wrist, twisting in. The sudden maneuver caught the gennin-to-be off guard, making him loose balance and flip, crashing against the ground with his back.

The jounin let go of his arm and took a few steps back, allowing the boy to jump to his feet, the knife still in his hand. With all his might the Academy graduate tossed the kunai to the ground before him, making the blade sink into the ground while the boy went through a series of hand seals: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" he called out, releasing a powerful fireball at his adversary.

Flames wrapped around the Kyuubi vessel's body, devouring it in an instant, as well as scourging the surroundings, leaving a small wasteland in the middle of the meadow. As the fire died down, Enou stared at the damage, huffing a bit, forced to place his hands on the knees. His expression was indifferent, yet Shindo narrowed his eyes at the predicament.

"Well, that was scary" came a familiar voice from the young Uchiha's back, making his body twitch. "I must admit that the destructive power alone exceeds the one your father had when he was your age" stated Naruto thoughtfully with his hand on the chin. "It seems your chakra manipulation however is below his. You put too much into that last technique and now you're weakened. Shinobi must always be prepared to continue fighting, regardless to the chances of his enemy surviving his last attack. Keep that in mind, Enkou… it may be the difference between life and death."

"_Kawarimi_" the heir of the Arashi analyzed quickly while his teammate spun on his foot, throwing a kick at the place his instructor stood. The blond ducked instantly however and also spinning, swept at his student's legs. To this the boy react immediately, jumping up, above the attack and somersaulting, unleashed a drop kick at the whisker-marks' head.

The jounin stopped the assault with his right hand, grabbing the leg with his left, yet this time Enkou was prepared for such a maneuver; with a flip, he rested his hands on the ground and used all his force to toss the enemy over him with the momentum. This made Naruto let go of the leg and flip in mid-air to come to a sliding stop while the preteen also landed on his feet, already releasing a new swarm of shuriken.

The Kyuubi vessel danced around the shinobi stars, easily dodging every, single one, but just then he noted the last of the Uchiha sliding right next to him with an uppercut to his chin. The blond quickly bended back, making the fist miss by inches and then grabbed the arm, pulling the boy towards himself with an elbow to the Academy graduate's face.

Enkou braced for impact, but that never happened. In stead, the jounin flipped back a few times, extending the distance with a warm smile plastered on his face. This angered the gennin-to-be though: "_Just now… he's mocking me!_" he yelled in his mind, going into a charge with a wild battle cry.

"_Losing your calm so easily_" Shindo thought to himself with a stoic face. "_Obviously that Uchiha is not fit to be a ninja_" he proclaimed as his companion beat the distance, throwing a straight punch to Naruto's face.

"I admire those that stay in touch with their emotions, but in a fight you shouldn't give in to anger this easily" stated the Kyuubi vessel as he patted the boy's wrist, throwing his attack off course. "If you go berserk, the possibility of making a mistake heightens and mistakes are one thing shinobi must avoid at all times. Also… you leave too many openings…" he announced as he blocked the second punch and strafed left to avoid a kick.

With his right leg still stretched after the kick, Enkou bended to his right and placing his hands on the ground, he bended further, throwing a spin kick with his left leg at his opponent. Naruto acted immediately however and dropped to his butt, stopping the fall with his hands in the last moment.

With his lower body parallel to the ground, he thrust his leg, kicking the last Uchiha's hands, thus making the preteen lose his footage and drop to the surface, hitting his face against the meadow. The jounin quickly acted and returned to a standing position, patiently waiting for the gennin-to-be to put himself back together. The boy didn't rush getting up as he settled his eyes on the higher-rank ninja, his breath now slightly quickened, even though the whisker-marks shown no signs of fatigue.

"You've got pretty good reflex and instincts" the man complimented him, oblivious to his glare. "But you lack coordination. As you are, anyone with more skill can easily read your movement and since that is the case, being quick isn't gonna help much…"

A roar escaped Enkou's throat as he resumed his assault, running at Naruto in top speed. Yet as another punch was released, the jounin side-stepped it and while the preteen went next to him, the Kyuubi vessel grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back and extending his leg to the side, making the Academy graduate trip and fall to the ground.

In a blink of an eye the whisker-marks was above him, pressing his hand just below the boy's neck as his knee pinned the young ninja's stomach. Before Enkou knew it, his legs got immobilized by the jounin's, while his right arm was imprisoned by the man's free hand.

"You know, your strategy isn't really working" Naruto announced calmly, still pinning the boy to the ground. "May I suggest thinking up a new one? As is, there's little chance for you to grab that bell… and if you don't, how are you gonna prove being a worthy, Leaf shinobi?"

"Oh, put a sock in it!" Enkou shoot back annoyed. "You think you know anything about me? That's a barrel of laughs! You have no idea what it's like to be an Uchiha in this village!" he yelled, while the blond remained silent. Finally the jounin let go of the Academy graduate, allowing him to stand up. As he did, the gennin-to-be stared at his teacher for a moment, before lowering his head: "My father was a great ninja… one of the strongest of his time… but he was also a traitor… even I cannot deny that. He left Konoha for the sake of power. Fate that befalls all Uchiha, as they say" he added with a twist of anger showing on his face.

Shindo merely narrowed his eyes as he kept observing the scene from his hideout, while Enkou continued: "Before that Itachi murdered his entire clan and was marked a criminal as well… once the truth was revealed, entire Uchiha were labeled traitors for plotting against the Leaf. I don't suppose I can actually blame the villagers for that, but… but why is it that, because of this, I'm suppose to turn out as a traitor as well?" he asked with a breaking voice, still avoiding eye contact. "Have I really did anything to make people think that? Just because I came from that clan… does that make me a leaf-nin any less? Answer me, Naruto-sensei: am I truly someone that can't be trusted?"

The jounin didn't respond at first. He gazed at the sky and then spoke up, gaining his student's attention: "Sins of fathers always become the sins of their sons. In a strange way I experienced that myself. Believe when I say that I know exactly how you feel. In the past I too didn't had any friends… everyone avoided me due to a certain… predicament I was throw into. No-one accepted me as a true Konoha shinobi. You wouldn't believe how many times I thought about just giving up" he announced with a voice calm.

The boy stared at him, somewhat surprised, as the blond continued: "But I didn't… because crying and running away never changed anything. We all live our own lives Enkou… we curve our own destiny. I'm not gonna lie to you that it'll be easy… in fact, I assure you that there'll be thousands of bumps on your road… hundreds of time when you'll feel that it's not worth it, that it'll be easier if you'd just give up… but if you do, the only thing you'll be achieving is proving everyone right. The easiest way out is usually also the most shameful and earning respect is not something one gets by taking shortcuts. This is what you need to be ready for if you're serious about achieving your dream."

At those words the young Uchiha lowered his head again, while Shindo glanced to the side, still in the bushes. Gazing back at his student, Naruto turned around and began to walk off: "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one with problems. Ironically enough, I'd imagine your teammates go through a similar hell, even though they may not show it… and speaking of which, I suppose I should go find them… seems as though they went after the scrolls and we can't have that, can we?" he asked with an evil grin right before disappearing.

Enkou remained in the clearing, letting out a long sigh: "_I suppose it's not meant to be easy… life rarely is. But Naruto-sensei does have a point. I won't give up! That bell will be mine yet!_"

-Some time later, deeper in the forest-

"_Yes, I found it!_" Rokku cheered in her head as she reached between the roots to pick out a small scroll. But just as she did so, the young kunoichi felt a presence behind her. A moment later an all too familiar voice rang in her ears, making her grip the paper tighter.

"Good job on obtaining the scroll, Rokku" Naruto praised his student with a few claps. "But I'm afraid I'll be taking it back from you now…"

_**-Rokku finally steps in!-**_

And that's that for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and please, leave a review before leaving. It'd be very helpful. I'm personally anxious about the next installment as up till now Rokku didn't get too much of an inside, albeit being one of the main characters. I can only hope that this, next chapter will be easier to write and that I'll give her justice.

Thanks for reading and especially reviewing! Until next time, hopefully.


	5. Heaven and Earth

And here it is: the final installment of the _**Dynamic Updatto**_ (I have no inspiration to write something idiotic like in the first, two cases ^^') – the newest LoL chapter. Hope you'll like it.

Just like everything else with this 'dynamic updatto' this installment was problematic, but I do hope I did at least a decent job on it. What's ironic is that after I was done, I had the feeling this was both dragged and rushed.

Before starting, I'd just like to take a moment and thank everyone who sacrificed their time to review this piece. Your comments really mean a lot and certainly helped me turn this tale into a regular update. A pat on the back well-deserved for you guys!

And now on to the show:

**Chapter #5: Heaven and Earth**

_**Title Page:**_ Rokku is meditating (I know… again) in the mountains on a large rock with her eyes closed while a goat is carefully trying to eat the scroll on her back

"Kudos on another, spectacular defeat, Uchiha" Shindo insulted Enkou as he walked out of the bushes towards his teammate. "I swear, you graduating from the Academy must've been a mistake… but then, your very presence in Konoha is a mistake…"

"You want something in particular?" Enkou shoot back, holding back his anger.

"Actually yes" the young Arashi admitted after a short silence. "I've been observing your battle with Naruto-sensei and came to a conclusion there's no way for you to get that bell. But, there's little hope of me doing so as well. The only chance for us to pass is finding the scrolls, but Rokku is nowhere to be seen… it's a safe bet she went after the scrolls from the beginning and most likely managed to obtain at least one by now, which just leaves one for the two of us…"

"Get to the point" the other boy became impatient, still furious with his teammate.

"Okay, here's the thing: I don't trust you. I hate your clan for being traitors and I don't think you're any better then them" he announced, while Enkou's face twisted from anger, his fist clenched, ready to collide with Shindo's mouth. "But I'm willing to give you a chance to prove me wrong" he added, making the young Uchiha gaze at him confused: "Question is: are you able to trust me?"

-Back to Rokku-

"So, you gonna give the scroll back peacefully or will you face me in a fight?" Naruto asked calmly while the kunoichi still had her back turned towards him. It was thanks to this that the jounin could not see his student forming seals before it was too late: "Doton: Ishi Akuryoku no Jutsu!"

In a flash ground shut up from below the blond, making him jump up as the stones formed into a hand that went after the Kyuubi vessel. As the massive fingers began closing, the whisker-marks threw his legs forward, making them collide with the solid palm and using it as a springboard, he blasted himself out of the arm's reach, before it managed to shut.

But as he flew through the air, Rokku got ready, immediately zooming through another set of seals: "_She ain't planning on letting me rest, is she?_" Naruto thought to himself as the girl finished the technique, slamming her hands to the ground: "Doton: Nenokuni no Ori!"

At first nothing happened, but the instant the blonde's feet touched the ground, he started sinking in liquid stone, before long disappearing halfway. Suddenly the jounin dived into the quick sand, much to the kunoichi's surprise, but the next moment she jumped away, noticing his hands digging out beneath her in an attempt to grab her by the ankles.

Without a second wasted, Rokku unleashed a barrage of kunai that struck the area the hands were, having them explode a moment later as the tags attached went off. The girl didn't wait to see the result however as she instantly dashed away from the rumble: "_To think that with all that he still managed to get away… there's no way I can win with that speed. My best chance is to find a good, hiding spot and somehow last till the time runs out!_"but with that thought she came to an immediate stop as a figure now stood on a tree branch in her way.

"It's not nice to leave without a goodbye" Naruto stated calmly with a smirk and his arms crossed. "But your control over the Earth Element is worth praising… naturally one shouldn't be surprised, considering where you came from, however…" yet before he could finish, he found himself jumping down as more shuriken came his way, whistling through the air.

"Hit a nerve, have I?" the blond asked a bit curious as Rokku was finishing another set of hand seals: "I'm a shinobi of the Leaf! And nothing more!" she yelled, completing another technique: "Doton: Chouhou no Jutsu!"

In a blink of an eye stone spikes shoot from the ground, each aiming to pierce the jounin. As the first came, Naruto flipped in the air and grabbed it just under the tip. This gave the blond the 'ground' he needed. In a blink of an eye he spun, still holding to the rock and landed on its top, using the rock as a springboard.

Somersaulting over the second spike, he dropped on it, sliding down its back to ground level, yet instantly jumped back as the third shoot vertically to the sky from beneath him. His flight got stopped by the fourth that rose from behind, making the Kyuubi vessel hit it with his back. The moment he came to a stop, two more spikes appeared, aiming at his chest from left and right.

Quickly the whisker-marks jumped up, splitting his legs, avoiding the attack by inches. As he placed his hands on the spikes, he rolled down upon the left one and strafed right just as the seventh spike shoot at him. More and more stone blades kept popping up from the ground, yet Naruto managed to dodge every, single one, coming to a stop with a smile as the last spike froze.

"Oh, no more?" the jounin asked teasingly, looking around. "That sure was something. To think a gennin would actually have enough chakra to perform such a technique. I'm truly impressed, but using this was your mistake, Rokku. Tell me: can you even stand straight?"

The kunoichi didn't reply and just panted, sweat dripping down her face. Soon after she collapsed to her knees, unable to move even as the blond walked slowly towards her: "To think you'd actually make the same mistake Enkou did… I thought you were more level-headed then that. Also, I still don't really get why the mention of Iwa got you so worked up" he announced, to which the girl snapped again, bringing her hands into a hand seal.

In a flash the correct chain was made, while the Academy graduate slammed her hands to the ground, releasing chakra into it, doing her best to ignore scourging pain that surged through her body: "Doton: Ishiryuudan no Jutsu!"

Instantly rocks raised behind her, forming into a snake-like dragon that shoot straight at Naruto, who quickly jumped back: "_She still had enough chakra to perform such a skill? For a gennin, she's pretty scary…_" he admitted, now strafing right as the monster followed.

With the beast coming dangerously close, the jounin jumped up, landing on a nearby tree branch, which he immediately left as the dragon twisted and went after, smashing the tree to pieces. Meanwhile the whisker-marks flipped a few times, reaching the surface of a lake before coming to a stop, standing above the water.

The monster gave chase, speeding near the ground, but just as it was about to snap its jaws on the Kyuubi vessel, the man leaped forward, over its head. Quickly the beast turned again, going after its target, which was now sliding down its 'back'.

Seeing the dragon change direction, Naruto jumped off the snake-like creature and once more landed on the lake. The jounin seemed to freeze, even as the monster came. Finally, when the beast was inches away, the blond moved out of its way, making the attack sink into the water. The man didn't stop though and only when he reached the shore did he turned around, awaiting the resurfacing of the dragon.

He didn't had to wait long as the monster shoot up, its form seemingly melting. Again it went for the whisker-marks, who remained in place like before. Once the beast got within range, Naruto spun on his foot and threw a kick to its face. Surprisingly, upon impact, the dragon fell apart, spraying mud around the area, leaving Rokku shocked.

"How…?" was all she managed to ask.

"What do you mean?" the jounin replied, almost like he was surprised. "It's a law of nature: soaked ground gets muddy and looses its solid form. Being a former stone-nin you should pay extra attention to these sort of things."

At those words the kunoichi clenched her fists; a fact that the blond took note of: "Also you shouldn't let yourself get carried away over little things like that, Rokku" he stated simply as the girl huffed, trying to catch her breath. "It's not like what I said was meant as an insult… nor was it a lie. Personally, I don't think one should be offended by the truth…"

"The only truth is that I was raised in Konoha since I was little" the gennin-to-be responded, surprising the whisker-marks with the sternness of her voice, which was all the more unlikely, considering she was still on her knees. "Just because I was found on the battlefield doesn't make me any less of a leaf-nin then you, Naruto-sensei. I may have been born in the Iwa, but I know nothing of that village. Konoha is my home!"

"I'm not saying it's not" the Kyuubi vessel replied, keeping a stoic face. To this Rokku looked at him confused: "Then why…?" she began, yet got instantly interrupted by the man:

"…I bring it up?" the blond finished for her. "Because you shouldn't forget of your own heritage. You're carrying two cultures within yourself. It's your advantage, both as shinobi and a human being. You shouldn't despise what being a stone-nin gave you. And just because of that you're most certainly not any less a Leaf ninja then myself, Enkou or Shindo. Possibly, you're more. Rest assure you won't get any, special treatment from me due to this fact. I won't be harder on you. But, on the same basis, I won't be letting you off the hook either. And so… I'll be taking that scroll now" and with that he charged forward as a blinding speed.

But just as he was about to reach his student, Naruto came to a stop and jumped back as a trail of stone spies came from his right, squeezing between himself and the young kunoichi. Coming to a sliding stop, the blonde's eyes narrowed slightly: "_This wasn't Rokku's doing… there's no way she can have any chakra left… which means_" and with that he gazed to the side, settling his gaze on Shindo, who stood beside a tree, right at the end of the line of spikes.

"I was wondering when you're gonna come to the open" the jounin announced calmly, turning towards the boy. "Here to take the bell?" he asked, to which the young Arashi smirked: "In a manner of speaking" he replied, bringing his hands together in a seal…

_**-two down… and what of Shindo?-**_

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed I and that you'll drop a review before leaving. In that regard I have a question actually: I was thinking about putting character profiles in this tale (starting right after Gennin Exam arc), but I'd prefer to know your stand on the issue: would you like to have them or not? And if yes what sort of information you think should appear in them (name origins and the typical info from NNG will most likely be included). Do let me know.

_Doton: Ishi Akuryoku no Jutsu_ (Earth Release: Stone Grip Skill)

_Doton: Nenokuni no Ori_ (Earth Release: Cell of the Underworld)

_Doton: Chouhou no Jutsu _(Earth Release: Funeral Salute Skill)

_Doton: Ishiryuudan no Jutsu_ (Earth Release: Stone Dragon Bullet Skill)

Thanks for joining me and hope to see you and read you next time!


	6. Elementary, my Dear Shindo

And so this is the last of the "Revival Update" as some might call it... I've done NNG, I've done "Those..." and figure I couldn't leave LoL be since the other two got their shot. Frankly, out of the three, I was most anxious to write this one, but as I neared its completion, I had this weird feeling it went over the top... well, once you read I figure you might figure out what I actually mean by that.

All things considered though I'm quite satisfied with... and you get to see the twist I put in the gennin exam here ;) Hope you liked it, coz certainly inventing something better then the ordinary bell test was quite a bother and I hope I did the general exam justice with my version.

Naturally, I feel a tad rusty with "Naruto" fics and it is tiring to write even one chapter... as I go along, it'll get easier and eventually I'll be able to write several in week time like I used to with NNG, but until then it'd be greatly appreciated if you review to let me know if it's worth getting back to this piece.

Naturally, as with the previous two, I'd like to point out this story was prepared at a specific time of "Naruto" Part II and thus may become AU... right now, everything up to Sasuke killing Orochimaru can be considered canon, however later events are a different story... basically, if not stated otherwise, it's best to assume everything that happened later as non-canon for LoL... at least at this point.

And with that out of the way, lets move on to the chapter itself:

**Chapter #6:**** Elementary, my Dear Shindo**

_**Title Page:**_ Shindo doing a slip over a water steam with his feet resting on rocks and his hands made into a seal

Shindo's hands clashed as the final seal was completed, finishing the technique: "Daichi Kuiki: Ishi no Kanbou!" he called out and instantly stone walls rose from the ground, closing around Naruto. The jounin merely glanced up as a ceiling formed, growing out of the top of the walls.

The heir of the Arashi smirked at the sight, his breath already quickened as his hands became blurry once more: "Tenka Kuiki: Denkai!" he yelled, slamming his hands to the ground as electricity wrapped around them. In a flash the surge spread through the surface, heading towards the stone cube at a blinding speed. The next moment lighting engulfed the cell, frying whatever was trapped within.

The boy huffed slightly as his stone structure crumbled in a rumble. His face shown no surprise at the fact the prison was empty and the blond man was nowhere in sight. Without a word he reached for his hostel and with kunai in hand, he spun around, tossing the knife right at the place Naruto stood.

The Kyuubi vessel simply leaned to the side, avoiding the assault, yet Shindo was already in motion, coming at the man with a flying kick to his face. The jounin blocked with his arm and as the Academy graduate's foot connected, the gennin-to-be used that as a springboard to put his body into a somersault.

Landing on bended knees, he made a sweep at the whisker-marks' legs, yet that turned out to be a miss as well since Naruto simply jumped over the attack. The heir of the Arashi immediately stopped spinning and threw his leg up, straight at his teacher. With no way to dodge, the blond crossed his arms, taking the impact.

The kick pushed the jounin back, giving him a sliding stop, while the Academy graduate rose back to his feet, shuriken in hand. With one, swift move he unleashed the shinobi stars and quickly flashed his arms, forming a new chain of seals: "Kaze Kuiki: Karyuu no Jutsu!"

In a blink of an eye wind picked up, throwing the shuriken off course and as they turned, riding the currents, came at Naruto from all sides. As the projectiles nearer, the blond readied himself and once the first blade came with a whistle, he shifted his body, making the star zoom pass him.

Another came at his head from behind, forcing the Kyuubi vessel to duck, but the moment he did, the third went spinning between his eyes. Allowing instinct to take over, the jounin placed his hand on the ground and flipped to the right, just to have the first weapon turn and come at him again, along with two, new shuriken, both coming from the front on the sides.

Instantly he let his body dropped and roll on the ground, making the three projectiles miss by inches, going above him. Naruto quickly sprung up as the sixth shinobi star dropped from above, sinking into the ground at the very spot he was a moment later.

His feet stopped on the lake, filled with chakra as the whisker-marks gazed at the shuriken coming right after him: "_He's good... better then a rookie gennin should be. His taijutsu exceeds Enkou, while ninjutsu's better then Rokku's. It seems he has the same problem as the two though_" he concluded, releasing chakra from his legs, which made his body sink immediately.

The projectiles followed, yet as they passed the water, they sunk as well, losing all speed. This made Naruto smirk as he jumped up, above the lake, only to see his opponent finishing yet another technique: "Mizu Kuiki: Umihebi no Jutsu!"

In a fraction of a second the liquid below rose, shaping itself into a form of a snake which went for the jounin in the attempt to swallow the blond ninja. However as the serpent came closer, the jounin flipped in mid-air, making the monsters jaws snap just below him and again releasing chakra into his feet, the blond slid down the beast's back, once more landing on the lake surface.

The snake broke into water drops as the attack missed, the technique over, yet Shindo was not done as he charged the whisker-marks, unleashing even more kunai. Naruto dodged the knives with ease, but the moment the last projectile went by, the Academy graduate beat the distance and launched a spin kick to his opponent's face.

"_He can walk on water and yet has so little, chakra control?_" the Kyuubi vessel wondered, ducking under the assault. Momentary the gennin-to-be stopped his spin and brought his leg down, going for the man's head. The jounin anticipated that maneuver though and blocked the the kick with his left arm.

To this the heir of the Arashi responded by somersaulting backwards. To the blond's surprise however he remained in place and as the flip came to an end, another kick was send to his face. Left with no time to dodge, Naruto blocked with his right palm, but the instant pre-teen's foot hit it, the boy clapped his hands together.

The water beneath exploded in the form of a liquid serpent once more, this time going for the jounin from point blank range. Acting solemnly on reflex, the whisker-marks jump, splitting his legs, thanks to which the reptile flew below him, merely splatting his robe. This was the opening Shindo needed as he came with an uppercut while the man was still in descent.

Again with no room to dodge, Naruto grabbed the fist with his hands and using that as his 'footing', he flipped, putting the Academy graduate into a somersault. When the stunt was complete, the Kyuubi vessel released his grip, tossing the gennin-to-be over the shoulder.

Shindo managed to land safely on his feet, stopping on a solid ground, his eyes still set on the jounin who casually walked towards him, no rush in his step. The young ninja waited patiently for his adversary to reach the shore before he resumed his attack.

With a quick dash, he passed the jounin and came from behind with a knee to the back. The blond side-stepped the attack though, now finding himself to the gennin-to-be's right. The preteen wasted no time and threw a horizontal punch to the man's face, only to have his opponent duck under this one too.

But as the fist missed, the heir of the Arashi quickly brought his leg down and spinning on his foot, he prepared the other knee, also aimed at the whisker-marks' face. To this Naruto reacted by placing his hands on the ground and flipping into air, somersaulting over the offense. Upon landing, a cutting sound reached his ears, forcing the Kyuubi vessel to turn.

Automatically he caught the two shuriken coming his way and dropped them to the forest floor as Shindo came with a kick from the left. Blocking the attack with his left arm, the jounin lifted his right knee this time to stop a punch that rose from below and went for his stomach.

With the second assault stopped, the Academy graduate launched another fist, this time in the form of a straight punch, going for the blond's face. Stuck in place, the whisker-marks lowered his head, making the assault connect with his headband, without causing any harm.

As the hitae-ate vibrated from the impact, the jounin pushed forward with full might. The gennin-to-be, still standing on one leg, had no room to sustain his balance and quickly landed on the ground, rolling away a moment later, just in case.

"_Even Shindo-kun_" Rokku thought to herself as she observed the skirmish. "_Even he cannot win. And I don't have enough strength to run anymore. Once Naruto-sensei beats him, he'll take my scroll. We can't become gennin... I..._" she began, but a sudden hand on the shoulder snapped her out of her trail of thoughts.

In a flash she gazed back, spotting the young Uchiha who now stood behind her: "Enkou-kun?" she asked confused, but the boy didn't waste time: "Look, our three hours are almost up, we need to do this quickly... you still have the scroll?" he questioned, which made the young kunoichi nod before she managed to stop herself. "Good, give it!" he ordered.

"Four, different elements" he noted with approval while his student picked himself up. "Quite admirable, granted it is to be expected of the Arashi clan... the most feared bloodline limit in the world; Taiken which allow its wielder to use all, five nature releases... there's nothing that gives greater, ninjutsu potential than that..."

"Bah, what would you know" Shindo spat, rising to his feet.

"More than you could imagine" the jounin assured him calmly. "Possibly more than you even, considering Yokuno was part of my squad right before the events of that night. I know what led to that tragedy..."

"You know nothing, just like Enkou!" the gennin-to-be yelled, for the first time losing his calm. "None of you know anything and I'm tired of people thinking they have even a clue about that night!" he announced, hands flashing once more: "Kasai Kuiki: Hinote no Eiga!" he called as flames escaped his mouth, fire covering the whole area before him.

Once the burning sensation escaped his body, the heir of the Arashi placed his hands on his knees, huffing. The Kyuubi vessel was nowhere is sight again, yet Shindo had little hope the attack got him and as on cue, a familiar voice reached his ears, coming from behind:

"You know, you guys really require better chakra control" Naruto stated simply, seeing the boy gasp for air. "You have skills, but they're nothing if you can't use them wisely. All three of you put way too much energy into one blow, which leaves you venerable soon after and you still can't perform these techniques effectively enough to hope they'll give you victory against a more advanced shinobi. It seems you're better then the other two in that regard, but it doesn't seem like you have much strength left. You won't manage to steal that bell now."

"Well, I won't" the preteen admitted with a smirk, making the blond raise his eyebrow curiously. "Still, this test is over" he proclaimed and nodded his head towards the bushes. As the Kyuubi vessel followed, he spotted Enkou and Rokku unwrapping the scrolls.

In a flash small tornadoes rose from their centers, combining. As the winds collided, a puff of smoke filled the cyclone's eye and as the cloud cleared, a tiny, silver bell fell to the ground with a jingle. Shindo walked slowly towards the object and his two teammates, who now sat a few inches away, a bit shocked at the predicament.

The jounin stood patiently as the heir of the Arashi picked up the bell and throwing it to the sky in his hand, he said with a smirk plastered on his face: "A shinobi must look underneath the underneath... eh, Naruto-sensei?"

_**-the bell is caught... and the results?-**_

And this concludes the chapter itself. I'm actually anxious over chapter 8 so far, but I'll need to wait a bit. Those of you who actually think Shindo reminds them of someone... well, if you once read my "Shinobi Story", then I suppose you could say he's a redo of Naraku from that tale only weakened to not be accused of being Gary Stu-ish. True, he may seem that way with this chapter, but note he still failed to land a blow on Naruto and as you'll see, he's far from being king of the world, despite appearance. Those who read my, other fics (NNG in particular) probably know they can trust me with leveling the characters ;)

Also, as usual, here's the translation of the techniques used... they're not named Doton, Suiton etc. for a reason as these are part of Arashi bloodline limit, which you'll get to learn more of later on:

_Daichi Kuiki: Ishi no Kanbou (Earth Domain: Cell of Stone)_

_Tenka Kuiki: Denkai (Lighting Domain: Electric Field)_

_Kaze Kuiki: karyuu no Justu (Wind Domain: Swirling Current Skill)_

_Mizu Kuiki: Umihebi no Jutsu (Water Domain: Sea Snake Skill)_

_Kasai Kuiki: Hinote no Eiga (Fire Domain: Blaze of Glory)_ – I know... couldn't help myself with that one though

And that's that for now. Hope you enjoyed it and have a nice day.


	7. Naruto's Conclusion

Hey everyone. I see this tale is just as popular as NNG, so I'll be sticking with it as well, at least for the time being ("Those..." aren't dropped yet, though I hope they'll spark interest also, coz the last chapter turned out to be a bust x_x). Generally I plan on updating both NNG and LoL the same day, with "Those..." thrown in the mix every now and then ("Those..." do contain chapters usually twice as long, so primary new installments of that fic will take place once every two chapters of the other two).

However I recently got news that... well, to call them disturbing would be a HUGE understatement. As some of you, who read my fics before hatius, may know, my father fought cancer. He won and for the past two years or so everything seemed fine... until, recently, it came back. This, naturally, threw me off so I won't be making any promises that I'll keep the paste of updates the way I wanted to last week when I revived these tales.

With that said, here's the next installment of LoL:

**Chapter #7: Naruto's Conclusion**

_**Title Page:**_ schoolyard: dressed in typical, Japanese high school uniforms, Rokku holds down her skirt at the sudden gust of wind, Shindo is propping his back against the gates leading to the establishment, while Enkou stands on top of the wall, taking in a deep breath

"A shinobi must look underneath the underneath" proclaimed Shindo with a smirk, throwing the bell up in his hand. "Isn't that right, Naruto-sensei?" he asked while the jounin gave out a smirk of his own: "Well, I must admit I never expected you guys to figure this test out so quickly. I even went through the trouble of implying you might pass without working together, granted that was not possible. To realize the scrolls were the means of summoning the bell… I'm impressed."

"Well, it wasn't that much of a thinker, really" replied the young Arashi calmly. "You never said we're not allow to look inside the scrolls, so that was a hint in itself. After seeing how easily you beat the shit out of Enkou, one could easily tell the gap between us was too great for any of us to steal the bell. But if we all went after it, still just one would pass. There was no point in dividing us into three-man cells if we were to be separated the next day, so there had to be a way for all of us to clear this exam. When you look at it this way, the answer becomes quite clear really: the rules were made to put conflict into the group, even though the only way to succeed was teamwork."

"Quite a smarty pants, ain't ya?" the blond responded, still smiling. "But you basically get the idea. Well then, I guess there's no point in dragging this out; you guys pass and in flying colors, if I dare say so myself" he announced, widening his smirk.

"Hell yeah!" Enkou yelled, thrusting his fist to the sky. Rokku merely smiled at the news, still not saying a word. To this Naruto twisted his lips a tad before continuing: "Starting tomorrow we'll be completing missions and working on your ninja skills in the meantime. Judging from today's performance, you'll require some training, so we'll be starting immediately!"

"Oh man" the young Uchiha whined, his happiness immediately vanishing.

"Don't 'oh man' me" the jounin replied sternly, glancing at the boy. "Missions carry a risk of losing your life, I can't have you guys run straight into those unprepared... unless you want your name to end up on that stone" with this he pointed at the monument located in the center of the field, which most of the now gennin forgot.

"What's so special about these names, Naruto-sensei?" the young kunoichi asked curiously.

The whisker-marks turned his attention to her, though he hesitated before answering: "They're heroes who died in the line of duty" he announced seriously. At those words Enkou raised his head, noticing a pained expression that appeared on their instructor's face, if only for a moment.

Words froze in their throats as a sudden gust of wind went through the meadow. Finally the young Uchiha, incapable of baring the silence any longer, chose to break it: "Well then, what training will you have us do, Naruto-sensei?" he asked, gazing at the man challengingly.

The blond smiled at the reaction and staring into his student's eyes, he responded as calmly and seriously as one can only get: "You're gonna climb trees..."

-Later that day, Uchiha compound-

Enkou calmly walked into the Uchiha compound, shutting the gate behind. The size of his heritage often made him uneasy; sure it was relevant back in the day, but now that the clan consisted of merely two people, the emptiness of it was… saddening to say the least.

He entered the house he occupied with his father: "I'm home!" he proclaimed without any, cheerful note in his voice. There was no answer. That didn't seem to surprise him though as he marched into the kitchen. Glancing to the left his eyes stopped on a small note, attached to the refrigerator. The young gennin grabbed the tag, scanning it quickly:

_Son, I'm sorry I can't be there to greet you, but Hokage-sama has given my squad an important mission, which I cannot pass by. Congratulations on becoming gennin; I have no doubt you succeeded in whatever test that dope put you through. Don't get discouraged though, Naruto may act like an idiot most of the time, but surely there's no more then a handful of people who would be better instructors. Once more, good job… there's dinner in the fridge._

Enkou let out a sigh, crushing the note in his hand and then tossed it aside. With no rush he opened the freezing box to get the food his father wrote about: "_It's always the same…_" he stated in his mind. He wasn't angry. He was merely annoyed.

-Same time, different part of the village-

Rokku entered her small apartment, making the door creak loudly upon opening. The inside was dark and rather dirty with her things laying all over the floor. Only the most basic of furniture was present, leaving the place nearly empty. The young kunoichi glanced at her reflection in the mirror before lowering her head. She allowed herself a weak sigh before starting to tidy up her home.

-That time, at Arashi estate-

Shindo entered the huge, wooden mansion with several candles hanging just under the ceiling. Entering the living room he noted a boy, few years older then him, seating at the table. The teenager had gelled-up, brown hair, green eyes and Konoha's hitae-ate on his forehead. Black t-shirt with a blue vest covered his torso, while black pants with three, blue ines going down the trouser legs were tied with a chain-like belt, to which a long katana was strapped. The heir of the Arashi also spotted a black kanji for 'sword' decorating the youngster's left cheek.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, sending the arrival a suspicious look.

"As far as I know, this is my home as well" the other boy responded, folding the paper he was reading just a moment ago. He got up from his chain and began walking towards the rookie gennin, his face rid of emotion: "I was curious how you'll do on your survival training, granted seeing your headband I imagine you managed to pass. Congratulations then..."

"Why are you really here?" the younger ninja asked, taking a step back as the taller figure tried to ruffle his hair. To this the swordsman froze for a second and retreating his hand slowly, he replied, his voice indifferent: "I found a new lead on his whereabouts... I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for the Land of Water. Not sure how long I'll be gone this time."

"Maybe permanently" Shindo said under his nose as he looked away. The other shinobi raised an eyebrow, granted the heir of the Arashi was not sure if he had heard him. Silence filled the room until the rookie gennin decided to voice his question: "Why? You should know that even if you do find him, there's no way you can win... worst case scenario, he'll kill you..."

The teenager didn't respond at first. He just stared at the younger ninja almost as if he was judging him somehow and then, without an emotion still, he answered: "Because I have to. For that very same reason you still cling to the idea of surpassing him. If I were to die, I'll be counting on you to take my place" he announced, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Speaking no more he left, slowly walking to the upper level of the mansion for a night's rest. Shindo observed the activity like it was something dear to him and once the figure disappeared from his sight, he allowed himself to sigh, lowering his head: "_Be careful... brother..._"

-That evening, Hokage Tower-

The Nanadaime read the report carefully before finally putting it on the desk and glancing over at his visitor. Naruto stood patiently, awaiting the Fire Shadow to speak, granted he found it incredibly boring to remain motionless for such a long period of time. Over the years he learned that this, particular Hokage was different from those before him and while there was little doubt he was suited for the job, his seemingly cold exterior made the blond question the choice, if only slightly.

"So you passed your students also" the Leaf's leader finally concluded, emotionless as usual. "That makes a complete of five teams then. I must admit I am somewhat concerned over your cell specifically... are you positive they're ready for a life of shinobi?"

"I wouldn't have promoted them otherwise" the Kyuubi vessel responded immediately, having the Hokage nod his head at the statement: "Very well... you should have a better glimpse of their capabilities then me at this point. I will have a mission for you in the morning, so you're expected to show up then..."

"Understood" the jounin announced seriously as the Nanadaime got back to his paper work. He was skimming down another document carefully before he spoke again without taking his eyes off the scroll: "Is there anything else?" he asked, noting that Naruto haven't left.

"Actually, there's one thing I'd like to ask" the blond admitted, receiving a glance from the Fire Shadow. The stare, rid of emotion, threw him off for a moment, however he quickly recovered and went on: "I was wondering... if it'd be possible for me to know... if Ichigo got promoted as well."

A judgmental look followed, opening a short silence that filled the room. The air seemed heavy as the jounin awaited a reply, but eventually the Leaf's leader decided to react: "Considering the team's rooster, I'm positive you'd receive that information soon enough. But, if it'll put you at ease, then yes; team number one was also promoted. Though I'd imagine that was to be expected."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama" the Kyuubi vessel bowed towards the man and instantly vanished, leaving the Nanadaime alone in his office. Once out of the tower, the jounin allowed himself a sigh of relief as he readied to head back home: "_I truly don't understand_" he thought to himself at the memory of the conversation he just ended. "_What could've push the Council to select such a man for this position?_" he wondered walking down the street.

And as the moon hung itself above Konoha, the day has ended, marking the beginning of a new adventure, both for the young ninja as well as Naruto. The road ahead was certainly a dangerous one and challenges awaited... but that was something that they could deal another day...

_**-this is just the beginning!-**_

And this concludes this chapter. Next up is a very special mission. Frankly I'm anxious to write the following arc, coz with NNG mission arc I feel that I didn't do as well as I could've and in "Those..." simplicity was actually meant. The one here I feel is much deeper then both put combined and I hope it'll rival Wave Country arc from the manga. Only time will tell, I suppose...

Also, I figured that now, once you learned a bit of all the gennin, it might be a good time to finally reveal the meaning behind their names (for, as those of you who read my stories know, I usually do put a hidden hint within those :D). And so:

_Enkou Uchiha –_ as you probably know, 'uchiha' means 'fan' which is also the symbol of Enkou's clan. His first name on the other hand stands for 'flame' as Uchiha are flame users most specifically... however it can also mean 'halo' as in glow... basically his goal is to redeem his clan's name, so he should be a shining example ;P Written without the 'u' at the end, his name also stands for 'affinity', which underlines his relation to the traitorous, Uchiha clan... and finally, albeit that is more of a coincidence, enkou can also mean 'schoolgirl prostitution'

_Rokku Hawatari -_being a former stone-nin, I was looking for a good, rock-related name for her. Couldn't find any and so I ended with 'rokku', which is more or less the Japanese spelling of the word 'rock'. Her last name, Hawatari, stands for 'length of a (sword) blade' and 'walking on the edge of a sword'... although that will make more sense during the mission arc.

_Shindo Arashi -_his clan's name means simply storm or tempest and considering they specialize in all nature release I figured it'll fit perfectly. Shindo on the other hand has several meanings. Written with an 'u' at the end, you get shindou, which stands for 'prodigy' or 'wonder child', naturally being the allusion to him finishing Academy at the first place. In that regard it also means 'shock' and 'new road', the first being a hint to his past, the latter connected to his evolution throughout the fic. If you write his name as I do in the story, shindo can be translated as 'progress' and 'depth', both being a prelude to the happenings of the tale. And finally, shindo also means 'elasticity'... considering his personality, don't you find that last one ironic? :D

Now, before I sign off, I'd like to write one, last thing: I must admit that I was surprised when some of you at the beginning of the story claimed the knew who the Nanadaime Hokage was, as he's an OC all the way :D Frankly, despite the fact he's not one of the prime characters for this tale, I must say that I personally like him (he was one of the first characters made for this tale) and I do wonder what you'll make of him as I'll reveal more info about his personality and past :D

Thanks for reading. Take care.


	8. A New Mission!

I wanted to wait with this until the next chapter of NNG would be ready, but oh well, I guess this one and the newest installment of "Those..." will have to do. Frankly, this chappie begins the mission arc, one that I'm anxious about. I do realize that it may start slow and some events will seem rushed, but I do hope that plot-wise it'll manage to beat both NNG and "Those..." in that regard (I gotta face the facts: mission arcs in the other two were rather simple... and while in NNG I can blame it on being new to Naruto fiction, "Those..." were made later).

Some themes will probably seem familiar, but I do hope I've given all the characters involved enough edge for you to enjoy. I'm glad that very few things are what they seem and uncovering them should be a fun trip.

And so, lets get to it:

**Chapter #8: A New Mission!**

_**Title Page:**_ Naruto and his cell are dressed like Ninja Turtles: Enkou resembles Leonardo in a kneeing position with the sword horizontal to his forehead, Shindo becomes Raphael, holding tight to his sai with an angry expression on his face, Rokku imitates Donatello with goggles and a bo staff in her grip, while Naruto acts like Michaelangelo, dipping his pizza into a ramen bowl

"Stand back!" Shindo ordered as he quickly went through a series of hand seals, taking a deep breathe in the meantime: "Mizu Kuiki: Ekitai Boppatsu!" he called out, unleashing a powerful wave from his mouth that covered the entire floor of the room. "You guys ready?" he asked his teammates, who merely nodded with determination in their eyes. "Then lets do this!" he yelled.

In a flash all three grabbed their mopping sticks and began swiping the floor off the liquid, leaving the wooden surface clean. Naruto, who observed the entire scene from a chair nearby, only raised his eyebrow at the sight as a smirk crept onto his face: "_To think these guys can find a way to actually get into D-rank missions…_"

-Later that day-

"Alright, team number four" the Hokage began, looking through some documents. "Time to assign you a new task. Lets see... there's a need to take the Fire Country's daimyo dogs on a walk... a local elder also asked for help in riding his garden of weeds... and then there's a search for a cat... hmmm... wasn't that one taken care of like a week ago?" the man turned towards Iruka, who was sitting beside him, with a slightly surprised expression on his face.

"Well, Rock Lee's cell caught him last Friday, but it'd appear the cat managed to escape again" the chuunin explained, a look of embarrassment visible. The Nanadaime only let out a sigh before turning back to the team before him: "Some people should get the hint… well, I suppose it can't be helped. Team number four…"

"Like hell we will!" Enkou snapped, pointing at the Leaf's leader. "Get some, other brats to do that kind of lame missions! All throughout the last, few weeks we've been doing idiotic tasks and I'm near boring myself out of my ass because of it. Give us something more challenging, dammit!"

"No" was Hokage's only reply as he tossed the scroll with the cat catching mission on it towards the boy, hitting the young gennin right in the forehead.

"Hold on a minute, what kinda attitude is that?" the young Uchiha freaked at the man's stoic face. "Naruto-sensei himself said that when he was a gennin, he managed to get an A-rank mission!" the boy exclaimed, pointing at his teacher and as the Nanadaime gazed at the blond, he only scratched the back of his head with embarrassment, while a single drop of sweat run down his face.

"Well, I'm not the one who gave him that task" the Fire Shadow final spoke, still as calm as always. "And I most certainly will not allow rookie gennin to take a mission that might end in failure. Konoha has a reputation to uphold and I will not have brats such as yourselves screw it up just because you feel inferior…"

"That is so not fair!" Enkou kept on whining as he crossed his arms. "How am I supposed to prove my worth for the village if all I do is paint fences or clean floors? Hokage-sama, I am not the same as my clansmen were before me! Regardless to the mission, I'll fulfill it, even at the cost of my life!" he proclaimed, staring deep into the man's eyes.

"_But, if it's regardless to the mission, wouldn't that mean D-ranked ones are also included?_" Shindo asked himself with a sweat drop as he glanced at his companion. "_Though, I must admit, the pinhead does have a point…_"

At those words the Nanadaime's eyes narrowed as he glanced to the side for a split second, words from years ago echoing in his head: "_This is your proving ground, Shugo… I trust you will not fail_" he recalled as a barely visible twitch ran through his calm face. He finally shifted his eyes back to the team before him, settling his gaze upon Enkou.

"I hope that statement wasn't just an empty claim" he announced, making Naruto a bit nervous. "I will provide you with a C-rank mission if that means so much to you… that is, if the client will not decide against it" and with that he nodded to the chuunin near the door leading to the waiting room. The man bowed slightly, disappearing in the next chamber only to lead an older man back for the young gennin to see him.

The client turned out to be a man of at least seventy years of age with long, gray hair, clipped in a ponytail and a beard also tied on the chin to keep it from falling down the man's chest. His purple eyes gave an impression of being tired, yet sharp none the less. The guest was wearing a somewhat dirty, worn out robe that was once white and wooden sandals on his feet, but what drew Rokku's attention to him was a katana with a red handle, decorated with gold, strapped to his belt.

"This is Nobunaga Homare" the Fire Shadow introduced the elder, merely glancing at the man. "He asked us to provide him with an escort on his way to the Fang Country and protection until he completes the Ritual of Passage. Your mission would be to oblige to those demands…"

"You cannot be serious, Hokage-san" the man, Homare, cut in, gazing at the Leaf's leader with a displeased glance. "They're just brats! If worst comes, they'll be more of a problem then actual assistance! Besides, I've already given you details concerning my situation and as far as I know ninja regulations, the task I hired you to fulfill is out of their range of completion anyway…"

"True, your conditions mark the mission as a higher rank, however note that the jounin over there is Uzumaki Naruto" the Nanadaime responded calmly, unfazed by the accusation at all. "I assume you would have no complains concerning his involvement in the job?" he more stated then asked, yet still looked questioningly at the swordsman.

The man's mouth twisted a bit as he seemed to consider the option and then let out a frown: "Fine."

The Kyuubi container on the other hand had his own say in the matter as he approached the desk, speaking in a whisper: "I apologize, Hokage-sama, but is that really wise? Judging from what was said, I assume we're actually talking of a B-rank mission at least and that means ninja encounter. Rookie gennin are not prepared for that sort of event… also, a bodyguard mission is one of the more difficult types, so even if you're willing to send my students on a more challenging job, wouldn't it be wiser to pick something less… demanding?"

"You'll be with them, so they should be fine" the Leaf's leader replied matter-of-factly, his face still rid of any emotion. "I'm also quite sure that 'shinobi encounters' written in the request are just the man being paranoid… you do realize who that is, don't you? Knowing his reputation, do you really believe there would be many people who would dare to go against him in a fight? And even if I'm wrong, he's more then capable of handling himself, so basically providing escort is no more then humoring him. Actually, I doubt there will be trouble at all, so I'm not that willing to send a squad of jounin, since that may be unnecessary… and furthermore, you're far more effective then the latter…"

"I thank you for the note of confidence, Hokage-sama, yet I still must voice…" the blond began, but was immediately interrupted by the Fire Shadow: "Are you really questioning my direct order?" he asked calmly, which was enough to make the whisker-marks shut his mouth and after a moment of hesitation nod, backing away. "Now then, if there are no, more complaints, I believe we're done here. Team number four, your job is to provide Nobunaga-san with protection until his task in Fang Country is complete. You may leave" and as he said so, the swordsman and Naruto headed towards the exit with a bit of disappointment showing on their faces, while Enkou was already floating on cloud number nine.

But the instant they left, Iruka too decided to speak up: "Hokage-sama, I must protest… to assign a mission out of personal reasons and a dangerous task at that" but the Nanadaime didn't bother to let him finish, sending a glare at the chuunin. As the scar-faced man quiet down, the Fire Shadow said out loud, seemingly to no-one in particular: "I trust they'll be fine… and it is preciously because of what happened that I know that Uchiha boy will do his best. The mission was handed to Naruto… his students are meant to be mere spectators if worst come to worst… no more, no less…"

-Two hours later, gates of Hidden Leaf-

"Lets go!" Enkou yelled excitedly, earning an annoyed looked from basically everyone gathered. Homare quickly recovered though as he noticed a katana strapped to the boy's back, its handle one he would recognized anywhere: "Hey, brat, where did you get that sword?" he demanded, making the young Uchiha glance over his shoulder.

"It's a heirloom from my father" the preteen replied, eying the man suspiciously. "What do you know of it?" he questioned, but the elder only stared at him for a moment and then turned his back without saying a word. Rookie gennin's eye twitched at the situation, but he managed to bottle up his anger and only adjust his backpack, ready for departure.

As the group walked calmly down the road, Rokku leveled with the jounin, gaining his attention: "Ummm, Naruto-sensei... how far is the Fang Country from Konoha?" she asked, to which the blond quickly calculated: "About five days travel in this paste. According to the briefing I received, our destination is actually a Tiger Temple, located near the border, so we won't have to go deep into the land..."

"Will we be encountering ninja?" she asked worriedly; a question to which Homare twitched, making Shindo narrow his eyes at the gesture, yet the blond seemed to miss the whole thing as he responded calmly: "Doubtful; after the war was over military changed a lot. Fang Country doesn't have a hidden village and they aren't at war with any for that matter. Furthermore this is a C-rank assignment... commonly there are not shinobi encounters in such. And lastly, even if such a situation would occur, you three are not allowed to interfere. You may be strong, but as rookies it's still too dangerous for you to participate in such a skirmish..."

"Really?" the kunoichi replied with a note of relief in her voice.

"So what sort of military does the Fang Country have?" Shindo pushed, ignoring the tone of his teammate's last question. To this the whisker-marks glanced at their client for a moment before turning back to the boy: "Samurai..."

-That time, elsewhere-

A teen-aged boy ran down the narrow hallway at inhuman speed. Finally he reached his destination: a room lit by candle light with a throne-like chair in the middle. The youngster froze, not sensing any presence around, which was odd, to say the least. He glanced around with his violet eyes for any trace, yet found none.

The boy himself was no older then sixteen and had medium-length, spiky, blond hair that stick out in every direction. His outfit consisted of a black t-shirt with ripped sleeves, a blue waistcoat on top and pants in the same color. Bandages that covered his arms were a surprising addition to his look, while a large amount of gear strapped onto him made him look somewhat menacingly: several shuriken and kunai hostels, a pair of daggers attached to his belt and most of all a sword with a huge, almost square-like blade on his back shown he was a ninja even more then a hitae-ate with slashed, four, wavy lines on it.

He spun around, in a flash grabbing a kunai, as he aimed to pierce whatever was behind him. Before the stab connected though, he felt a grip on his wrist which stopped the assault halfway: "You were able to sense me sooner then expected... your skills certainly grow in a remarkable paste..."

"You flatter me, Kyoushi-sensei" the boy responded, now gazing at the man behind him. This individual has short, also spiky, black hair and a blood-red, left eye, while his right one was entirely white, having a slash wound going through it. Gray mask covered his mouth as a vest in the same color laid on top of his black shirt. Fingerless gloves hid his palms while pants ripped on the knees finished the sight. His headband was a spitting image of the teen's, located in the same spot as well. "But I'm still far below the level I would wish them to be."

The man didn't reply. In stead he stared at his companion for a moment before asking straight forward: "Why have you came?"

"Chuugi-san just informed me the man you wish to kill left Konoha" the young swordsman announced simply, surprisingly emotionless. "He's heading towards the Fang Country. Incidentally, I'd imagine this as a perfect predicament for you, Kyoushi-sensei..."

"Don't get smart with me, Kougan" the man shoot back, walking towards the wall to pick up a large sword, which blade consisted on several spikes, resembling a saw. "You should never forget why I decided to bring you along. At any, given time, I might decide you've become a liability... and liabilities are exterminated" he stated, swinging his blade.

Just as it was about to chop the boy's head off though, the sword stopped, embracing the teen's neck between its teeth. The youngster, Kougan, seemed unfazed by the action, his expression indifferent as he glanced at the shining metal that nearly ended his life. With the same eyes he gazed at his mentor, who smirked beneath his mask.

"So, tell me, young one" Kyoushi began, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "Are you ready for your first massacre?"

_**-destination: Fang Country!-**_

And that's the first set in preparing the setting. As you can see the enemy rooster for this arc differs from the ones I placed in NNG and "Those..." Sure, it's still a mission arc, however for this fic it's extremely important as events from it will influence many characters in the future, so I do advice you read it closely ;)

_Mizu Kuiki: Ekitai Boppatsu_ (Water Domain: Liquid Outburst)

Thanks for reading and until next time!


	9. Changing World

Yeah, I know... actually, it felt wrong updating NNG and "Those..." while leaving this untouched, so I just sat down to it and wrote the chapter just in time for another NNG update :D Actually, I'm quite pleased how it turned out, despite a shorter 'intro' then was originally intended.

Not much to say then enjoy:

**Chapter #9: Changing World**

_**Title Page:**_ terrarium; team four is admiring the creatures behind the glass with Enkou making large eyes towards the frog, Shindo observing a snake dance, while Rokku seems to be slightly crept out by a slug stuck to the window

"One thing I don't get" Shindo announced as the group began their second day together, nearing the edge of the forest covering the Fire Country. "From what I understand, samurai are proficient at using chakra and are supposed to be weapon experts... why weren't they hired as your bodyguards, Homare-san?"

The elder glanced at the boy with a bored look and then returned to observing the road, his voice a little hoarse: "This is a matter of delicacy. Besides, the task I am to fulfill is one of honor and tradition... something you, shinobi, have little knowledge of and so I do not feel the need to explain myself to you."

To that Enkou's eye twitch as his grip on the backpack tightened. Before he could say anything though, Rokku broke the silence, thoughtfully pushing the conversation on another route: "Naruto-sensei, how come Fang Country uses samurai? I thought government military was always represented by ninja."

"That's not entirely true" the jounin responded patiently, rubbing his chin. "The fact is that most countries use shinobi villages as their main source of soldiers, but even before the war samurai were used. Land of Iron has always placed more faith in them then ninja. Once the Fourth Shinobi War ended, with the destruction it brought to the world, some countries began viewing ninja as a menace and, to that end, opted for replacing them; the process is visible in smaller countries, where hidden villages are of little population, however even bigger towns suffered from this; the daimyo of the Wind Country were always skeptical about the Suna presence in the land and the whole incident actually gave them a good reason to meddle... despite being one of the Great Shinobi Villages, if you visit Hidden Sand, you can easily spot the effects of cutting funds..."

"Countries that didn't have hidden villages to begin with, like the Fang Country, after the war established samurai as their military, claiming it was safer and cheaper" he continued, glancing at the sky. "The fact is that samurai can use chakra much like shinobi can, only in slightly different manner, but in a duel they're still equally matched, the only advantage a ninja can have being ninjutsu" Naruto finished, his face indifferent.

"Bah, useless, magic tricks" Homare cut in with a disgust look as he spit to the side. "You fight using deception and spells, there's nothing honorable about it" he added accusingly.

"I assure you, Homare-san, ninja have their honor" the Kyuubi vessel replied calmly, gazing at the man. "I do not judge your beliefs... I ask that you return the favor."

"So you're a samurai, Homare-san?" Rokku asked surprised. The man glanced at her suspiciously and then, slowly, he answered: "Used to be. But the world has little use of old farts such as myself. Especially those, who are only skilled in the art of combat, while the whole world is at peace. Most of the past alliances didn't last, but it's rare for countries to be at war anymore. In reality, no-one has any need for warriors anymore."

"If that was true, there'd be no point in training ninja, would there?" Enkou cut in with a smirk.

"Actually, possessing military strength and not using it is, in itself, a way of keeping peace" Naruto disagreed. "It's a form of warning; just because you don't attack, doesn't mean you're incapable of defending yourself. But, truth be told, this form of insurance does provoke arms race in the end. Sad irony is, that because we're all human, we need weapons to keep peace."

"Isn't that a form of contradiction?" Rokku doubted shyly.

"Mankind is one, huge contradiction" the jounin replied simply with a shrug. "We're supposed to be the smartest being in the world, yet we don't really learn on our own mistakes and our actions can be viewed as a one-way street to extinction. The fact remains that even knowing what needs to be done, humans rarely decide to act the way they should."

The group soon reached a small village on the edge of Fire Country's border. The settlement consisted of merely few huts with a single, tiny Inn and farmland spreading on its outskirts. The townfolk were dressed plain and go about their business, yet the sight of shinobi had obviously spark their interest as they threw the arrivals shy glances the instant their eyes caught sight of the headbands.

"We'll eat here" Naruto announced, heading towards the inn. Homare mumbled something under his breath at the action, yet followed none the less, with Enkou walking beside him. After a short revision of the menu, and the jounin's rant about the place having no ramen, the group ordered and settled at the table outdoors to enjoy the sunny weather.

But once they sat down, they were not given much time to admire the bright, cloudless day; suddenly Naruto rose to his feet, tossing four shuriken to the side. As Shindo followed their trail, he noticed a quartet of kunai flying their way. The projectiles collide with each other, making all eight drop to the ground, while the knives exploded a moment later, covering the area with smoke. The blond remained unfazed by this though and immediately turned his attention to the hut on the right, his eyes sharp: "_Those knives had explosive tags attached to them._"

"Nice reflex, but I'd imagine that should be expected from the Leaf's Yellow Maelstrom" announced a man with a gray mask covering his mouth as he crouch on a nearby rooftop, his hand resting on a large, saw-like sword, which blade sunk into the surface. "Being one of Konoha's New Sannin does beg a certain level of skill..."

"_Great, it's another one of those Shinobi Swordsman_" Naruto thought to himself with a bored expression showing on his face, while a tiny drop of sweat run down his cheek. "_What is it with me that I attract these weirdos anyway?_" he wondered, but a moment later his eyes grew sharp at the realization: "_Wait a second... I know this one..._"

"I've only come for the old fart" the mysterious arrival proclaimed, ripping his weapon out of the rooftop and pointing it at Homare. "But I won't even bother telling you to step aside, coz you won't. Actually, I wouldn't want you to really... to test my skills against the famed Uzumaki Naruto... that's too great an opportunity to pass up."

"Oh?" the blond jounin responded simply as he picked out a kunai from his hostel. "And here I thought the Monster from the Mist didn't care much for a challenge, as long as there was blood. Was I wrong, Shuraba Kyoushi?"

"Didn't know I was that famous" the masked ninja replied, smirking. An instant later he jumped forward, aiming to pierce his opponent from above. Instinctually the group gathered at the table jumped back, making the massive blade pierce through it, but as Kyoushi's feet touched the ground, he spun around and with the table still stuck to his sword, he tossed it at Naruto from point-blank range.

The Kyuubi vessel ducked under the projectile, yet being close to his adversary allowed the former mist-nin to spin his blade and bring it down on the blond, forcing the latter to strafe left, just to avoid certain death. Coming to a sliding stop, the whisker-marked jounin tossed the kunai at the swordsman, making him block the assault with his weapon.

This gave Naruto enough time to flip back, extending the distance between himself and the opponent. In a flash he stopped and went through a quick set of seals, clasping his hands together with the last symbol while his adversary unleashed another barrage of projectiles: "Fuuton: Taifuugan!"

Instantly winds picked up from beneath the blond's feet, engulfing the man in the center of a cyclone. Once the shuriken came within range, the powerful current blew them off course, blasting them back at Kyoushi, who merely frown at the turn of events and jumped to the side, somersaulting. But as he got into the air, the whisker-marked jounin torpedoed out of the tornado and charged him at a blinding speed.

"_He used wind to sped up_" Shindo noted as his teacher reappeared before the masked ninja with an orb of spinning chakra in his grasp. Seeing this, the former mist-nin reacted immediately and grabbing his opponent by the wrist, he threw a kick to the blond's gut, hitting him right in the stomach.

Using the momentum, the swordsman used his adversary's chest as a springboard and flew away from Naruto, once more using shuriken to attack from the distance. The Leaf jounin more heard then saw the incoming shinobi stars and with Rasengan still buzzing in his palm, he slammed his hand to the ground, lifting up heavy rocks which shielded him from the projectiles.

"_Despite getting hit he managed to maintain his concentration and didn't cancel the technique_" Rokku thought to herself impressed. "_So that's a ninja on a jounin level... neither of us, even with our skills, can't even compare..._"

Meanwhile Naruto went on the offensive again, his hands springing from the ground bellow Kyoushi, aiming to grab the latter's ankles. The masked ninja was quick to react however and jumped back just as the rest of the whisker-marked man emerged from the ground. Without a second waste, the former mist-nin charged forward, swinging his massive blade at the blond's head.

Naruto ducked under the assault, but his opponent instantly stopped the attack and flipped his weapon, swinging it back at a lower height. With the blade coming at his face again, the Leaf jounin spun on his foot and bended back, making the toothy steel cut nothing but air, its tip missing his cheek by inches.

Again Kyoushi froze his hand before the swing was done and thrust his sword forward in an attempt to pierce through his adversary, yet also this time the blond reacted instantly and bended back further, having the blade go just in front of his nose.

In a flash he threw his knee upwards, hitting the masked ninja's wrist, forcing the latter to release his grip on the weapon. With his opponent disarmed, Naruto put his body into a spin again and launched a kick to the man's face, which Kyoushi dodged by leaning left. In return, the former mist-nin spun himself, aiming to sweep the whisker-marked fighter off his feet.

The Kyuubi vessel avoided the assault by jumping up and somersaulting in the air, he threw a dropkick at his adversary's head, but by then the swordsman rolled forward and stopped just before his weapon, picking it up. Once the retrieval was done, he faced the blond again.

Swinging his blade left and right, Kyoushi formed a barrier as he moved forward, forcing Naruto to back away, unable to counter. On instinct he reached to his hostels, grabbing a kunai in each hand and used the left to block the saw-like blade. With a 'clang' the weapons met, trapping each other in a deadlock, but as the sword froze, the blond aimed to stab his adversary in the chest.

At this the former mist-nin kicked the whisker-marked man's wrist, making him release the knife and then drove his leg further, hitting the Kyuubi vessel's chest once more. The impact threw the blond jounin off balance; enough for the swordsman to take action – with all his might, he pushed his weapon, forcing it through the kunai that was in the way.

Only thanks to reflex did the Leaf warrior managed to jump back, avoiding a fatal blow, yet the tip of the blade still scourged his chest, cutting through the cloak and slashing the skin, sending a surge of pain through the blond's body, which made the latter drop to his knee.

"_Naruto-sensei_" Enkou thought to himself as his body began trembling at the sight. "_Even he... cannot defeat this man... we... we gotta run, else... he's really gonna kill us!_" the realization hit like lighting, immediately quickening his breath. Before he could even take a single step back, someone else took action...

"Daichi Kuiki: Setsuritsu no Jutsu!" Shindo's voice echoed through the street as a trail of stones came at Kyoushi's back with a rumbling sound. The former mist-nin made nothing of it and merely spun around, swinging his sword horizontally. The blade slashed the rocks, splitting them in two, leaving the masked ninja unharmed, while his eyes set on the young gennin.

In a fraction of a second Kyoushi beat the distance between them and swung from below. Shindo only managed to widen his eyes as the blade ripped the skin, making blood escape the gaping wound and spray the ground...

_**-the worst, possible outcome!-**_

And so this chapter ends with Shindo getting killed... wow, what a drag. But hey, Kyoushi is a ruthless killer, even more so then Zabuza was, so what can you expect? And with Naruto wounded, who else is gonna save the rest of the bunch? Well, if you wanna find out, you better review ;P

As always, here's the translation of the techniques used:

_Fuuton: Taifuugan_ (Wind Release: Eye of the Typhoon) – this technique has nothing to do with the one Kai from my NNG fic used... just so you know ;)

_Daichi Kuiki: Setsuritsu no Jutsu _(Earth Domain: Foundation Skill)

And that would be it... for now, hopefully. Thanks for reading and until next time.


	10. Escalating Warfare

Prior to the announcement in NNG, LoL gets its update as well, although this one was one hell to write in the end and not just because I've been spending my free week partying with my friends EVERY single day... it was fun, but left "surprisingly" little time to write :D

Either way, I've made it and completed both NNG and LoL before the weekend... which is good, coz weekend ain't gonna give me time to write either :) But hey, as long as the weather is good, one has to make the best of it, especially since storms are coming... and not just in my stories :D

With that said, here's the newest installment in LoL series:

**Chapter #10: Escalating Warfare**

_**Title Page:**_ a hot day – Rokku is eating ice cream in the shadow of a nearby tree, upon which's branch Naruto is laying, Shindo is swaying himself with an Uchiha-like fan, while Enkou is glaring at him as he pops his head out of the lake

Shindo widen his eyes as the massive, saw-like blade ripped the skin. The young Arashi stared at Homare, who now stood between him and Kyoushi, panting heavily as he held the right side of his chest, decorated with a gaping wound, which allowed the blood to spill all over the elder's robes.

"_That geezer_" the elemental master thought to himself as he settled his eyes on the old samurai, sitting on the ground. "_Before I knew it he charged in, pushing me out of the way... he even took the blow for me. At his age, he's still that fast?_"

"Like I said" Homare began, still huffing slightly. "You brats are nothing, but trouble..."

"Indeed" the former mist-nin nodded, smiling behind his mask. "But the thing I don't understand is you, Homare-dono; back in the day, you wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice an entire legion of warriors, just to get the job done. What pushed you to save this brat? Tell me, do people really change this much as they age, Homare-san?"

"Mind your own business" the samurai shoot back, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter" Kyoushi announced with a shrug. "But the fact is you just cost your group the only advantage they had against me; with that wound, there's no way you'll be able to handle a sword properly and Uzumaki back there is already injured. These brats can't fight, they stand no chance... very literally, all hope is lost..."

"I wouldn't necessary say that" Naruto's voice made him glance over the shoulder, only to see the blond walking right at him, his eye red while smoke began steaming from the wound as it slowly shut.

"_The cut I just gave him is healing this rapidly?_" the masked swordsman thought surprised, narrowing his eyes. "_Must be that Kyuubi power mentioned in the bingo book. I get it now; unless the blow is fatal, my attacks won't have much effect... this could be bothersome..._"

"You guys take Homare-san and hide" the jounin ordered his students as Rokku helped Shindo get back to his feet. "I'll take care of his guy myself" he added and as Enkou began to protest, the blond raised his voice, sending the young Uchiha a stern glare: "This is not opened for debate! I'm sorry, but this is not an opponent any of you have a chance against. If you interfere, you'll only be making things worse, like just now" he proclaimed, glancing at the old samurai for a moment.

The kunoichi hesitated for a moment and then grabbed her teammate by the arm, pulling him away from the two fighter: "Come on, Enkou, we have our mission" she stated as the boy still had his eyes set on the former mist-nin. Meanwhile Shindo helped Homare with a shoulder, making the quartet disappear behind a nearby corner. Naruto raised his eyebrow at this, turning back to his adversary: "Not trying to stop them?"

"No point" Kyoushi responded with another shrug. "Once I kill you, they're done for anyway... besides, it's not like they'll get far" he announced with a wicked smirk. To this the blond merely narrowed his eyes, reaching for more kunai. The two jounin remained in place for a moment and then, suddenly, the former mist-nin charged forward.

With a quick thrust, he aimed the blade at the Kyuubi vessel's chest, making the whisker-marked man side-step the attack, throwing the knives in the process. With the projectiles launched at point-blank range, Kyoushi only managed to tilt his head, receiving a gash on the cheek from one of the weapons. He didn't even flinch though as he instantly swung his sword sideways, right at Naruto's side.

In a flash the blond jumped up and spun parallel to the ground, rolling on the flat side of the blade and landing on safely on his feet, his arms blurred as he completed the technique: "Fuuton: Daikyoufuu no Jutsu!" he called out as the wind picked up around him, instantly switching direction to hit the former mist-nin with full force.

The sudden gust blasted Kyoushi back, taking his body into air, yet the masked ninja reacted immediately and striking his sword into the ground, he broke his flight. Once the wind died down, he let go of his weapon and performed seals of his own, making the water from a nearby well explode upwards, shaping itself into a dragon: "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

But as the attack neared, Naruto was done with another chain of symbols, calling out with the final of the set: "Fuuton: Tsujikaze Heki!"

In a blink of an eye the air in front of the blond started circling, creating a powerful whirlwind in a form of a shield, which blocked the dragon's way. The instant the water stream hit the spinning barrier, the liquid sprayed through the area, most of it getting carried with the wind. The moment the whisker-marked man canceled the technique, it dropped harmlessly to the ground, slowly sinking into it.

"That won't save you" Kyoushi proclaimed with a smirk behind his mask as he slammed his palms to the ground, yet another set of seals already completed: "Suiton: Kanketsusen Bakuha no Jutsu!" he yelled as the water blasted up, right bellow the Kyuubi vessel's feet.

The geyser hit the leaf-nin straight in the chin, sending the young jounin flying back, while the former Kiri ninja grabbed his sword and ripping it out of the ground, he charged forward, ready to cut his opponent in two before the latter could land.

To his surprise however, the blond performed another seal and in a flash his exact copy appeared beside the original, grabbing the jounin by his shirt. With one, wild pull, the clone put Naruto's body into a spin, allowing the man to counter. Already at top speed, Kyoushi found it impossible to stop and soon felt a powerful kick into his face, which forced his head sideways.

Breaking his fall with a foot, the missing-nin's eyes narrowed from anger as he relocated his blade, thrusting it straight at the clone, making the bunshin disappear in a cloud of white smoke, obscuring the view of both combatants that now stood inches away from each other. As a loud 'puff' echoed through the street, the masked shinobi bended his knees and placing his sword above his head, he began spinning it with amazing speed.

A buzzing noise tear through the air as the wind picked up, pushing the smoke away, but much to the former mist-nin's dismal, his adversary was no longer there: "_Annoying asshole_" he thought to himself, carefully scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly the ground rumbled beneath him as hands shoot up from it, aiming to grab him by the ankles: "_Again?_" he thought annoyed, jumping into the air, but just as he did so, two more blonds came dropping from above, both armed in kunai. Kyoushi made little of it as he merely swung his massive blade once more, splitting the clones horizontally, yet his eyes narrowed as a third Kyuubi vessel was dropping down on him in the distance.

The masked ninja prepared himself to engage, completely forgetting about the bunshin bellow, which proven to be a big mistake as the whisker-marked man had already dug himself up and jumped after his adversary, delivering a kick to his chin when the latter still gazed upwards.

Before long another copy appeared and using the previous' back as a springboard, blasted itself at the stunned form of the swordsman, punching him across the face. It was only then that the mist-nin took note of three more clones coming from bellow, the one in the middle literally tossing the other two straight at him at a blinding speed.

Before he could react, the duo delivered a spin kick to his stomach, sending him flying further up, right at the final, dropping blond, who tied his hands together, hitting his opponent in the back of his head, the impact itself launching Kyoushi back to the ground, head first.

In the last moment the missing-nin managed to flip in mid-air, landing on his feet, yet the force made his eye twitch as pain shoot through his lower body. He glared over the shoulder to look at the six Narutos that now stood side by side, each ready to continue their skirmish: "So, who did you like it?" one of the clones asked with a smirk. "Uzumaki Naruto Rendan that is..."

"Hmph" the swordsman snarled at the question, rising to his feet as if nothing happened: "What sort of a ridiculous technique was that? And here I was, thinking I had to worry about that Kyuubi of yours... you can't tell me you've gotten this famous, possessing such pathetic skills."

"Oh?" another of the clones replied, rising an eyebrow. "Pardon me, but it does appear that I'm winning" he announced with a sarcastic tone, making Kyoushi smirk under his mask again.

"Appearances can be deceiving... as a ninja you should know that..."

"What are you getting at?" the blond asked impatiently.

"What I mean is that while you're here, wasting time... your students and that geezer are getting slaughtered" the former mist-nin responded, making Naruto's eyes widen in surprise...

-Meanwhile, another part of the village-

"I don't like the idea of leaving Naruto-sensei alone against that guy" Enkou proclaimed, looking over his shoulder to gaze at Shindo, who was still helping Homare walk. The young Arashi merely threw him a quick gaze, yet said nothing. In stead, it was Rokku who replied: "And what would you have us do? You've seen how Shindo's attempt at helping ended."

"Besides, it seems to me, Naruto-sensei has more tricks up his sleeve then he lead on" the elemental user added just before the elder hissed from pain. The boy placed him gently against the wall; they've managed to find a narrow alley, possibly the best hiding spot in the entire town: "We need to treat the wound..."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Enkou shoot back, still slightly annoyed.

"We had basic, medical training back in the Academy" the kunoichi reminded him shyly. "I can cleanse the wound and bandage it, but we'll still need to get Homare-san a proper treatment..."

"Do it" Shindo responded with a nod, glancing out the corner. "I recall Emi used to be good at these sort of things. We could really use her..."

"Yeah, well, she's not here" the young Uchiha noted. "We have to deal" he announced, walking up to his teammate, yet as that moment the other boy pushed him hard against the wall, back into the alley: "Hey, what the heck is your pro..." he began, but instantly froze at the sight of shuriken dug into the wooden wall out front. "That guy found us already?' he asked, now horrified at the thought what happened to his teacher.

"No" Shindo replied simply, his eyes set at the street. Enkou slowly followed, only now noticing a boy, slightly older then them, walking through the village with a sword as big as himself and a hitae-ate in a similar fashion to the jounin chasing them.

"Who the hell is that?"

"How should I know?" the young Arashi responded, narrowing his eyes.

"Come out already" the teen urged, spinning the weapon in his hand with astonishing ease. "It's quite obvious I know where you are anyway, so what's the point in hiding?" he questioned with a smirk and at those words Shindo slowly exited the alley, getting to the center of the street.

Instantly Rokku raised to her feet, but Enkou spot her a second later, pointing at the old samurai: "Don't... out of the three of us, you're the only one who can help that geezer. We'll take that guy" he proclaimed, following the other boy into the open.

"What, the old fart ain't gonna join us?" the former mist-nin asked teasingly, still playing with his sword. "That's slightly disappointing... without him, this will hardly be a challenge" he stated, suddenly making the weapon freeze in his grip, its square tip pointing directly at the two, rookie gennin. "Oh well, once I behead you, he'll surely pop up. Now then... let the fun begin" and in a flash both boys charged forward...

_**-the battle heats up!-**_

What, you thought I forgot about Kougan? I just didn't want him, Enkou and Shindo to get caught up in Naruto's fight, so I had to lure the youngsters away. Kougan is actually a very important character to the arc and the tale as a whole. True, even with him, the bad guys are out-numbered, but don't think team four will have is easy... as you'll see, it's gonna be quite the opposite :D

And yes, Emi mentioned briefly by Shindo is a character you'll eventually meet... just like Ichigo from chapter 7... I'm dropping hints like anvils lately :D

_Fuuton: Daikyoufuu no Jutsu_ (Wind Release: Strong Gale Skill)

_Sution: Suiryuudan no Jutsu_ (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Skill)

_Fuuton: Tsujikaze Heki_ (Wind Release: Whirlwind Barrier)

_Suiton: Kanketsusen Bakuha no Jutsu_ (Water Release: Geyser Blast Skill)

Well, not much more to say then thanks for reading, hope you review and have a good one.


	11. Matter of Perspective

And LoL is back :) With NNG temporary slowed down (as mangakas would say: "for research" :D), to keep myself occupied, I felt like updating this one, especially since the chapters are short enough to make this an easy installment :) Despite the initial trouble I had with this chapter, I must say that I'm rather satisfied with how it turned out in the end :)

Not much to say here, besides "read, enjoy and review" ;)

**Chapter #11: Matter of Perspective  
**

_**Title Page:**_ Enkou is holding his hand upwards with some bird seed on the palm, while a raven is sitting on his head and starts to feast on the offering

Naruto jumped up as the sword came at his mid-section, landing with his foot on the flat side of the blade. The sudden, extra weight pushed the weapon downward, allowing the blond to throw a kick to his adversary's face, which Kyoushi easily ducked under. Unable to move his katana, he took a more direct approach and aimed an uppercut to the leaf-nin's chin, forcing the latter to flip back, avoiding the assault.

"_Shit_" he cursed as he watched the whisker-marked man come to a stop. "_My movement has become too sluggish. I guess that stinking combo of his actually did have some impact_" he concluded annoyed as the Kyuubi vessel charged at him again, coming from the right: "_Attacking from my blind spot?_" the masked ninja figured, bending to the left, barely avoiding a swing of a kunai.

He was, however, unable to avoid a knee that drilled into his back with full force, making his good eye twitch at the pain. Reacting immediately, he threw his leg up and using Naruto's own knee as a springboard, he jumped, the momentum pushing blond's leg downward, tilting the rest of the body forward.

With his opponent leaning to the front, Kyoushi spun in mid-air and thrust his katana at the former's back, ready to pierce it. The blade went through with surprising ease, but as a smirk appeared behind the swordsman's mask, the whisker-marked man exploded in a puff of white smoke, covering his view.

"_Kage Bunshin again?_" he thought confused. "_When did he...?_" but he never finished the question as he felt a kick smash his cheek, sending the former mist-nin flying back to slide on the ground roughly before the traction made him stop. Angered, he rose back to his feet, glaring at the cloud of smoke that blinded him, now fading into the air, revealing another Leaf jounin.

"That eye of your is gonna be your downfall" Naruto proclaimed simply with a stoic voice, making Kyoushi narrow his pupils: "_Of course, when he was in my blind spot... I couldn't see it, but cloning requires merely one seal... this is really getting problematic..._"

"Surrender" the blond demanded sternly.

"Oh?" the masked man responded mockingly. "And just why would I do that? You think that just because you found my weakness, the situation changed? This only means I can't afford to play with you anymore" he announced, pointing the tip of his katana at the whisker-marked ninja. "Time to show you... this sword's real power..."

-Meanwhile, back to the young gennin-

Rokku slowly wrapped Homare's wound with the bandages, a worried expression plastered on her face as she saw the material already soaking with blood: "_This won't do much good_" she summed up, continuing as normal while the samurai gazed at the exit from the alley.

"Is it really okay to leave it to those two brats?" the elder asked without turning towards the girl, making her glance up from the wound and into the man's face. "I mean, they can barely handle themselves and I doubt that Kyoushi would bring someone inexperienced to this sort of battle. It's highly possible that who they're facing is of similar strength to a jounin."

"Shindo is much stronger then you give him credit for, Homare-san" the kunoichi announced calmly, trying to convince mostly herself. "And Enkou is of the Uchiha... true, we cannot defeat a jounin yet, but if that is our opponent, then in the state you're in, you can't do much either. The result will, ultimately, be the same."

"Still, forcing kids to protect me" the swordsman stated as he slowly began to pull himself up. "I cannot bare it" he proclaimed, but just then Rokku performed a quick set of seals, making rocks shoot up from the ground. In a flash the stones wrapped around the man, immobilizing him. The samurai gave his companion a surprised look, to which the girl merely smiled gently:

"We are not kids anymore, Homare-san" she said sternly. "The moment we were given our forehead protectors, we became ninja; as such, we are ready to risk our lives in order to fulfill our mission and protect what we hold dear. I'd imagine you, of all people, should understand that. For Shindo, Enkou... even myself... protecting you... is a matter of honor..."

At hearing those words the elder allowed his eyes to widen. He hesitated for the briefest of moments and then loosen his muscles, subduing to the rock hold the kunoichi inflicted upon him. Rokku noticed the change, yet decided to ignore it, resuming her treatment as a concerto of clangs filled the street just outside the alley.

Enkou came to a sliding stop behind Kougan, kunai already occupying every space between his fingers. His eyes narrowed as the former mist-nin jumped into the air, avoiding a stone spike that grew from bellow him. Seeing his target airborne, the young Uchiha unleashed the knives, making them whistle in the air as they flew at the swordsman.

Still in mid-flight, Kougan quickly relocated himself and used the flat side of his weapon as a shield, blocking the projectiles. A sudden sensation made him look over the shoulder though as Shindo was airborne behind him, finishing another set of seals: "Kaze Kuiki: Uindoryuu Bahuka no Jutsu!"

In a flash winds gathered around the young gennin, forming into a beast-like head above the boy. All it took was a blink of an eye for the creature to dash at the teen with an ear-piercing roar. To this the former mist-nin merely smirked as he placed his sword to the back, awaiting the blow.

The instant he felt the air pressure hit, he used the momentum to put his body into a spin, carrying the massive weapon along. To Shindo's surprise, his attack followed, dragged after the wide blade, almost as if being pulled. Before long Kougan began spinning his katana above head, adding to the technique's speed and with a sudden swing, he tossed the dragon back at the young Arashi, who was now above him.

"_Redirected?_" the Leaf's shinobi realized, shock written all over his face as he could do no more then block. The powerful gust came a second later, pushing him further up, the pressure alone burning his skin as small cuts appeared on his arms. He managed to flip, allowing himself a safe landing on the ground as he threw his adversary a suspicious glare.

"Why the surprised look?" Kougan teased with a smirk. "Didn't you know that every katana made for the Seven Swordsmen had a special skill to it? I'd imagine you already know what mine's is" he added confident, while his other opponent went through a set of seals: "Katon: Gou..."

"Enkou, don't!" Shindo stopped him mid-technique, earning a confused glance from his teammate. "Don't you have any, observation skills? That blade of his allows him to absorb chakra-based attacks and release them at his time of choosing. Use ninjutsu and you'll only be on the receiving end of your own technique!"

"Are you kidding me with this?" the young Uchiha snapped, separating his hands. "Then how are we supposed to fight?" he demanded, widening his eyes as Kougan charged him, in a fraction of a second beating the distance between them.

With astonishing ease the teen brought his blade down, aiming to split his adversary in two. In the last moment Enkou managed to side-step the attack and as the blade dug into the ground, he picked out a kunai, attempting to run it through the swordsman's heart. Before the knife could reach its target though, Kougan's hand flashed, grabbing one of the daggers, which allowed the former mist-nin to block the assault.

Surprised by the development, the Leaf gennin froze for the briefest of moments. Still, that proven enough for his opponent as he ripped his katana free and swung it to the side. Luckily for Enkou, the blade had no room to twist, thus the only damage the young Academy graduate received was a blow to the face with the flat side of the sword.

The impact still knocked him to the ground, leaving him defenseless and as he sat on his buut, he could only watch Kougan swiftly spinning his weapon, its tip nowaimed downwards, right above the boy.

The former mist-nin never got to launch the attack though as a sudden noise reaching his ears, making him tilt and spin, avoiding two kunai that came at his back. As the third knife flew straight at his face, the teen put his dagger into motion, deflecting the projectile and sending it back at Shindo, who was already dashing at him.

The young Arashi ducked under the weapon and without even slowing down, he bit his thumb as his other hand unwrapped a scroll. In an instant he drew the correct symbol on the paper, making a huge shuriken land in his grasp.

Tossing his arm back, he threw the shinobi star at Kougan's face, forcing the latter to block with his sword. The projectile bounced off the blade and flew up, but Shindo was already near and jumping over the teen, he grabbed the shuriken again, folding its large wings to form a singular blade and somersaulting over the former mist-nin, he landed behind the older boy, his knees bent.

In a flash he spun around and cut from bellow. The attack was halted by the dagger however as his adversary turned to face the elemental master, thrusting his sword at the Leaf gennin's head, right between the eyes.

Again his assault was stopped halfway as Enkou suddenly sprung into action and using his teammate's back to pounce, he tossed a kunai at the teen. With no way to dodge, Kougan redirected his massive weapon and used it to deflect the projectile by swinging upwards. The maneuver worked, yet left him wide open for Shindo who quickly rested his arms on the ground and pushed forward, delivering a kick to the former mist-nin's stomach, sending him sliding back a bit.

By then the young Uchiha already landed, shuriken prepared. Without delay he unleashed the whole batch, but Kougan, who instinctually grabbed his aching mid-section, moved his arm further, reaching his own hostel and released a barrage of his own, making each of the projectiles collide in the air and fall harmlessly to the ground.

In an instant he charged forward and before Enkou could react, he rammed the boy with his elbow, sending him flying back, straight at Shindo who stood just behind him. The duo smashed into each other and dropped to the ground and rolled for a bit before the momentum ended.

"This is, most definitely, disappointing" Kougan stated simply as the two gennin slowly rose back to their feet. His eyes shifted towards Enkou, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice: "I see you're carrying Kusanagi around... do you mean to tell me it's just for show? Grab it and lets have a duel!"

To this the young Uchiha narrowed his eyes: "How come everyone knows of Kusanagi?"

"Are you stupid?" the former mist-nin responded, somewhat amused. "Aside from the katana made for Kiri swordsmen, it's one of the most famous weapons in world! That's the blade that pierced your Sandaime Hokage! The very blade that killed Orochimaru! It's almost legendary! Is it really that big a surprise that I know of it? What surprises me is that you, the one carrying it, doesn't know its value. As a swordsman, I cannot accept you wielding it and so, I shall take it" he proclaimed, dashing forward at blinding speed.

Enkou barely managed to unsheathe the weapon, making the blades clash as Kougan pushed his massive sword against the Kusanagi. A smirk crossed the teen's face as he bended forward, placing his face inches away from his adversary's: "Good, I see you do have some skill... now then, lets see how long they'll make you last..."

_**-challenge excepted-**_

And this concludes this chapter. For those who do not understand the blind spot part; if you check chapter 8, when Kyoushi made his debut, you'll see I distinguishably wrote that his right eye was damaged, just like I specifically mentioned Kougan carrying his daggers... those who read my, other stories already know that with me, it pays to remember some of the details, but this is still minor stuff ;P

_Kaze Kuiki: Uindoryuu Bakuha no Jutsu_ (Wind Domain: Wind Dragon Blast Skill)

Thanks for tuning in... even greater thanks to those who'll leave a review... and hope to see you next time!


	12. Shinobi Swordsmen

Well, took me a while to finish this, but vacation turned out to be quite a surprise for me, so I had less time to write then I imagine I would... well, hopefully this chapter will prove worth waiting for and the next one will be done quicker.

Now much to say at this point, especially since this is a part of a TRIPLE update, joining NNG and "Those..." in the 'updated' segment :D Hope you'll have as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it:

**Chapter #12: Shinobi Swordsmen**

_**Title Page:**_ Rokku is standing in front of a statue of a warrior in a fighting stance, copying the form perfectly

Naruto ducked under the first projectile and then jumped up, splitting his legs in the process, to make the second whistle harmlessly below him. The instant his feet touched the ground he strafe right to dodge the third incoming and then pressed his palm against the floor to come to a sudden stop, lifting his entire body up, avoiding the next, two blades.

Somersaulting back, he set his eyes on Kyoushi as loud buzzing filled the area, the noise coming from the several, triangular blades that hoovered in the air. The blond narrowed his pupils as they shifted to the weapon his adversary still held in his grip, only now the sword consisted of nothing more then the handle, its entire blade split into the spinning projectiles that locked the area.

"You're holding out quite well, considering the circumstances" the former mist-nin praised his opponent, smirking behind his mask. "You truly earn your fame, Yellow Mealstrom" he added, annoying the Kyuubi vessel a bit. "I wonder how long you'll actually hold out" he proclaimed, forming a seal.

In a flash the blades resumed their assault, forcing Naruto to jump and spin parallel to the ground, making two of the projectiles miss their target, each going above and below him. As he landed, he bent to the left, dodging the third which aimed at his face and then spun on his foot, avoiding the fourth.

With his back turned to his adversary, the leaf-nin flipped back, the motion allowing him to dodge another blade that buzzed just above his moving form and coming to a stop, the whisker-marked man picked out a kunai. With one, smooth motion, he spun on his foot again and deflecting the sixth projectile with the knife, he tossed the weapon straight at the masked shinobi... only to have his attacked blocked by another blade that shielded its master.

Meanwhile Naruto ducked under the eight blade that came from behind with a buzz as a warning, only this time the blond was not as quick as he would like, losing some of his hair to the projectile. He had no time to mourn the loss though and he lowered his body further, rolling to the side as the next attack came from the left.

Rolling on the ground, the leaf-nin came to a stop upon noticing another blade dropping from the sky, making the projectile dig into the surface just before him. Instantly he used his hands to spring back up and putting his body into another spin, he managed to avoid three more shards that came from all sides. The fourth however grazed his arm, ripping the robe as it scourged the skin.

Landing on his feet, the whisker-marked man glanced at the wound, his eyes narrowing slightly. The whole predicament seemed to amuse Kyoushi, who chuckled behind his mask, allowing the blades to form a dome around his opponent: "And there's the first cut... do you really think you can win with just dodging? With so many blades, it's only a matter of time before you're killed..."

The Kyuubi vessel didn't respond; in stead he just gave the former mist-nin a bored gaze, managing to annoy the masked shinobi: "You're not gonna say anything?" the swordsman asked, losing his calm as his hand flipped. "Then how am I gonna know your last words?" he yelled, making the blades attack all at once.

But just as the projectiles came from all sides, a strange, red sphere wrapped around Naruto's body, stopping them in mid-flight. The next instant sharp pieces got blasted back, leaving the blond unharmed as he gazed at Kyoushi again, his eyes now crimson-red: "Enough" the whisker-marked man stated with his voice surprisingly grim. "Lets end this..."

-That time, back to the young gennin-

Kougan jumped back, swinging his blade horizontally in the process, thus forcing Enkou to duck under the assault. As the former mist-nin came to a sliding stop, the young Uchiha charged forward, aiming the tip of his sword at the renegade's chest, only to have the attack blocked by the flat side of his opponent's weapon, which was now struck into the ground.

As the blades collide, Kougan flipped his arm, making his katana rise to the sky; a motion that would cut the young leaf-nin in two from below, if Enkou hadn't roll to his right in the last moment. The missing-nin was quick to react though and spun his weapon in his grip, its tip now pointing at the crouching form of the Uchiha while its master thrust it forward.

Enkou instantly flipped back, dodging the assault, but his adversary was not done and spinning on his foot, he cut horizontally again, forcing the younger shinobi to block with his sword. The Kusanagi withstood the blow, yet the impact made him slide back a bit, giving Kougan all the room he needed.

With a sudden dash he leaned forward and swung from below, with another attempt to split in opponent in two. Once the young prodigy took a step back, avoiding the attack, the former mist-nin redirected his blade, cutting from the right, right into Enkou's hip.

The Konoha gennin managed to strafe left, avoiding a fatal blow, yet the cold metal still ripped his skin, releasing a painful surge through his body, while crimson liquid began staining the lower, right side of his chest.

"Seems like I got you there, newbie" Kougan stated with a smirk, while Enkou covered the newly acquired wound with his left eye twitching from the pain. The missing-nin allowed his katana to spin in his grip with a buzzing sound as he watched his opponent's breath quickening. "You're lasting longer then I had anticipated, but this is still pathetic for a swordsman...is that really the best Uchiha has to offer?" he mocked, angering the younger shinobi.

Shindo narrowed his eyes at the development as his knees bent, his hands flipping through a set of seals. Before the technique was complete however, he got stopped in his tracks by his teammate's stern voice: "Don't! He's mine!" Enkou announced, sending a glare at the swordsman.

"Are you kidding me here?" the young Arashi snapped at the statement. "Even a complete moron could tell you're no match for this guy! And I don't intent to get chopped to pieces later on, just because you felt like playing around!"

"Weren't you the one that proclaimed you're willing to give me a chance?" Enkou questioned, glancing at his companion. "Back during the bell test you asked me to trust you in order to prove my devotion to Konoha's cause... now the situation is reversed; I ask that you trust me" he pressed, making Shindo narrow his eyes.

The young, elemental user stood motionless for a moment and then relaxed, separating his hands as he stood up straight: "Fine, do as you see fit. But if you get your head ripped off and then have Homare-san killed, I'll be holding you responsible..."

"Fair enough" the other leaf-nin nodded, his attention back on Kougan, who patiently waited for the two to end their squat: "So you're still gonna fight me alone? Admirable, although not very wise. You do realize I am gonna kill you, right?"

"Yeah, but even so this is a duel" the young Uchiha replied with a shrug. "What would it say about me if I accepted someone's help?" he added with a smirk, making Rokku, who was watching the scene from her hideout, widen her eyes slightly.

"Spoken like a true swordsman" Homare nodded in acknowledgment, spooking the kunoichi slightly as she didn't realize he was up on his his. She gave him a surprised gaze, to which the samurai answered with a serious tone himself: "You should take heed to those words... being a Hawatari and all..."

"My clan is no longer how you may remember it, Homare-san" the girl responded simply, turning her attention back to the fight without another word. The swordsman stared at her a while longer, his face indifferent, and then shifted his eyes to the duel as well, while the two fighters charged each other at blinding speed.

Enkou cut horizontally at his opponent's head, but the latter ducked under the attack and pushed his katana upward, aiming at the young Uchiha's chin. Before the blade could pierce his face, the leaf-nin tilted his head to the left and spinning the sword in his hand, he launched a knee to his adversary's face, forcing Kougan to jump to the side, dodging the assault.

As he did so, Enkou put his blade into motion again, once more swinging parallel to the ground, only much lowered, going for the missing-nin's midsection. To his surprise the former, Kiri shinobi somersaulted over the attack and landing on his feet lunged at the brunette, cutting from above.

In a flash the rookie gennin broke his assault and blocked the blade, having a loud 'clang' spread through the street. Before he could do more though, Kougan rammed his chest with an elbow, making Enkou gasp for air. With his opponent stunned for a moment, the missing-nin flipped his katana once again, going for the back of the bended boy's head.

But just as the blade was about to split the young Uchiha's head, the leaf-nin bent forward even further, resting his body on his free hand as he lifted it up, making the attack miss him by no more then an inch. With his back now facing Kougan, Enkou sprung into the air and spinning in mid-flight, he swung at his opponent's back from the upper right.

The former mist-nin easily side-stepped the assault however and threw his elbow back, smashing it into his adversary's stomach, blasting air out of the latter's lungs for the second time. With a twist of the wrist, Kougan aimed the tip of his blade back and thrust his katana at the spot he believed his enemy was, yet the weapon cut nothing but air as the young, Konoha gennin already backed away, extending the distance.

Without wasting time, the missing-nin spun around and charged forward, immediately appearing before Enkou again. Swinging from bellow, Kougan ripped the ground with the tip of his sword, making dirt lift up with the cut, obscuring the young Uchiha's view. Unable to react accordingly, the rookie ninja could only place his katana in a block, hoping to stop the attack that followed.

No such luck as he felt his chest getting opened, blood spraying the ground. He let out a gasp as his legs gave in, forcing him to his back. Air became scarce as his widen eyes stared at the sky, while his body refused to listen to his commands. He could do no more then watch as Kougan appeared above him, aiming his sword right at his heart.

"I cut too shallowly, it would seem" the former mist-nin proclaimed with a stoic expression. "For that I apologize; you actually fought like a true swordsman and, at the very least, I can respect that. To honor your resolve, I shall make this quick" he added, lifting the blade, ready to strike.

"_Shit, I got careless_" Shindo cursed, dashing towards the duo, his hands already blurring through a set of seals. Before he could complete the technique, his view got blocked by mist that suddenly wrapped around the area, hiding his target from sight.

This development seemed to surprise Kougan just as much as the young Arashi however, as the swordsman froze in his tracks, his eyes narrowed at the interruption: "_Chuugi-san?_" he guessed, scanning his surroundings.

What he failed to see was the fact that on top of the nearby hut, a figure stood, watching the fight closely... awaiting its time to act...

_**-what is it now?-**_

And so this chapter is done. Will Enkou survive? What did Homare meant referring to Rokku's clan? Who is this Chuugi person mentioned and who's the figure at the roof? All shall be revealed it the right time, no you just need to stay tuned to find out ;)

Until next time.


	13. New Arrivals

I know this chapter is very late and I apologize, but the last, few weeks has be terrible for me and even as I upload this, the 'horror' is gonna continue, so I'm quite out of my cheerful and energetic self lately.

To that end I also wish to apologize that I haven't address any of your reviews for last time. Ever since I began publishing on Fanfictionnet this is the first time where I don't reply to your comments one way or the other, but I just don't have the strength to do so att his time. I promise to do better for next time.

With that wrote, here's the newest installment of LotL:

**Chapter #13: New Arrivals**

_**Title Page:**_ Halloween: the threesome are out trick or treating with Enkou being dressed as a toad, Rokku – a slug, while Shindou dons a snake costume

Kougan carefully scanned the area, almost like he could see thru the thick mist that wrapped around the street. He completely forgot of the young Uchiha for the moment, allowing Enkou to roll away... or so the latter hoped at his body still rebel against him, making the getaway not as fast as the leaf-nin would've hoped.

Seeing this, the former Mist shinobi reverted his attention back to his opponent and spun the sword in his grip, ready to impale the boy... only to widen his eyes as Shindo appeared before him, finishing his set of seals: "Kasai Kuiki: Houka Bakufuu no Jutsu!" he called out as flames erupted from his mouth.

Instantly Kougan jumped back as he felt the heat scourge his face, smoldering his clothes. Coming to a sliding stop, he attempted to counter, only to realize the fog has hid the adversary from his view. The surrounding smokescreen grew thicker and thicker, much to his annoyance, until finally he gave in and sheathed his blade, dropping his guard entirely: "I see you won't allow me to finish this, Chuugi-san. I ask that you explain yourself!"

For a second nothing happened, but soon enough a figure emerged from the surrounding mist, one of a man in a white and black, oval mask which hid his face completely, the only feature visible was a storm of medium-length, spiky, black hair, that seemed to drop ever so slightly. The arrival was dressed in a gray overcoat, tightly clinging to his body, which was also tied by a chain with a shuriken-like blade on one, hanging end and a square weight on the other.

"You need to go" the figure announced in a deep and calm voice, locking its sight on the teen. "It'd appear they've managed to track you and are heading this way as we speak. You have little time to escape."

"Not enough to kill those brats and the geezer?" Kougan asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Preferably not... you can't really afford to waste time, especially since this isn't the Land of Water" he added in his monotone, making the boy frown at the news. Spinning around on his foot, he glanced over the shoulder at the masked figure again, narrowing his eyes:

"I assume you'll inform Kyoushi-sensei as well?"

"It's already taken care of" Chuugi assured him as his body turned into water, dropping to the ground with a splash, which created a small puddle. Kougan's eyes narrowed further at the development, but the teen didn't waste time and took off, disappearing into the mist...

-Same time, another part of the village-

Kyoushi jumped back as a large, red, clawed armed dropped upon him, digging into the ground on impact. The sudden smash lifted up tons of dust, covering his sight even more then the mist that wrapped the town moments earlier: "_Shit... even with zero visibility he can perfectly locate me. I'm certain I don't make enough sound for him to do this, so the only logical explanation would be he's capable of sensing my chakra, even if I tune it down. So this is the power of a Jinchuuriki, remains of the old age?_" he wondered, ducking under another swing.

"Seem that you're in quite a bit of trouble" the masked swordsman heard a familiar voice as he flipped back, dodging another assault, giving little indication that he even heard the comment.

"I was wondering when are you gonna show up" Kyoushi stated simply, jumping up to spin above the fourth swing. "You did set this smokescreen a while back. What gives, can't you see I'm busy?" he demanded as a figure in a white and black mask and gray coat came into his view, propped against the wall of a nearby hut.

"Yes, busy staying alive" Chuugi admitted with a nod, his voice just as deep and calm as it always was. "Didn't expect the Kyuubi to be this powerful, eh? Well, fun time is over – you need to get out of here."

"Found us already?" the former mist-nin asked, slightly surprised as he stopped suddenly. "How the heck did they locate us this quickly?"

"Because you suck at covering your own tracks, I'd figure" the ANBU replied in his usual voice, albeit this time one could sense a note of annoyance in it. "Defeating the Jinchuuriki and killing that old fart will need to wait... and that is assuming you can do either."

Kyoushi narrowed his eyes at this, ignoring the claws that just scourged his arm, ripping the skin: "You think this is a problem? Do not forget I still have our bloodline limit. I just didn't wish to use it yet, since I couldn't tell to what extend this guy could use the Kyuubi..."

"Whatever" Chuugi interrupted, remaining indifferent to the other man's strafe to dodge the next slash. "The odds have changed and time is short. Kougan is already gone, I suggest you follow in his tracks. I shall rendezvous with you the moment I clean up the mess you brought upon us all again. Try to make your trail at least a little less obvious this time" he ordered as his body turned into liquid.

The mist began fading as Kyoushi gave one, last look at the spot Naruto stood, displeased with the outcome: "_Next time, Yellow Maelstrom... next time your head is mine, just like Homare's!_" he proclaimed before leaping away.

As his view cleared, the red sphere surrounding his body died down, turning the blond's eyes back to their sky-blue color. The leaf-nin let out a sigh, noticing his adversary was long gone. He considered giving chase, but surely there were more pressing matters he needed to attend and in a flash he dashed to where his students were. Upon arrival he noticed Shindo and Rokku working on Enkou, whose chest was deeply cut, letting out great amount of blood out as the boy huffed heavily. This wasn't good.

"Naruto-sensei, help!" the kunoichi yelled in panic as she kept wrapping the bandages around her teammate's wound. "We can't stop the bleeding! At this rate, Enkou's gonna die!" she announced the obvious, making the jounin narrow his eyes. Frankly, there was little more he could do himself.

"Don't you, ninja, have some medical techniques?" Homare questioned angrily, although the blond noted a tone of worry in his voice. With a sigh the leaf-nin shook his head in negation: "We do, but it's a specialized skill that only a few can master; it requires perfect chakra control... and I'm incapable of performing it" he explained, the vision of his student, and the son of his best friend, dying making him tighten his fists.

Before he could take any course of action though, his attention shifted to the entrance of the town just before four, new figures appeared, each of them surprisingly similar – they were clad in gray coats and all wore black and white masks with different, decorative patterns on them. A feature that brought the most attention in them to Shindo however was the symbol of Hidden Mist on their masks; the same symbol their assailants from earlier had.

"_Rotten timing_" he cursed, glancing at the wounded Enkou as he readied himself for a fight. Shockingly, Naruto seemed to figure out what he was up to and stopped the young gennin, blocking his path with his hand: "I'll handle this" he announced sternly, walking in front of the group.

"The Leaf's Yellow Maelstrom" stated one of the ANBU in a feminine voice with long, crimson-red hair, tied in a low ponytail. "Truly a sight we did not anticipate to encounter on this assignment. Then again, I recall you always were a magnet for our Shinobi Swordsmen" she added, somewhat playfully, while her bald companion, who carried a large, triangular sword on his back, twitched, if ever so slightly.

"Sorry, but one of my subordinates is knocking on death's door" the Jinchuuriki interrupted her immediately, pointing towards Enkou. "I don't have the time for usual pleasantries and foreplay. If you have a medic in your group, I'd appreciate his assistance" he announced, making the four exchange glances.

After a moment of hesitation, the redhead nodded towards her companion furthest to her left, a man with a shaved head, decorated with few strains of dreads going to the back of it. With a nod he walked forward and forming a quick set of seals, his hands began glowing as he neared them towards the young Uchiha's chest.

"Thank you" Naruto bowed to the woman, even though the man was not finished, to which the redhead nodded again. "I assume you're chasing after Shuraba Kyoushi?" he asked, which made the bald ANBU lose his patience; the large man stepped in front on the female and towering over the blond, he bended down, his mask inches away from the leaf-nin's face as he grabbed his collar.

"Tell us where did he went!" he said in an ordering, grim tone.

"Show some manners, Kuyoutou!" the female raised her voice slightly, making the titan freeze for a moment. His grip loosen as he took a step back and, although his face was hidden, the Jinchuuriki could easily tell he was still furious, for whatever reason.

"Whatever happened to not revealing our names to the enemy?" the final member of the group, a short man with a strangely young-sounding voice, asked, shifting his attention to the redhead. His tone was calm and emotionless, just like all of Kiri ANBU used to be back in the day. Even in this, new era some traditions still lingered, it would seem.

"We're not officially enemies anymore, Isan" the team leader replied, again ignoring the secrecy of her squad. "Besides, we're standing before a former ANBU as well, believed to be the most powerful shinobi in the world... rest assured that even the four of us would have a run for our money against this one... and we're not here to cause any incidences; the Leaf and Mist are allies, despite the fact that the steadiness of that alliance is shaky at best..."

"I don't really need to know your names" Naruto shrugged at the female's behavior; certainly she was different then your average, ANBU captain. Some might say she lacked experience or skills, but even now the blond could tell she was dangerous. Perhaps it was a good sign she was not the violent type?

"Either way, I must insist on you revealing what you know of Shuraba Kyoushi and his whereabouts" the redhead proclaimed, her voice turning serious. "This is a Kiri matter and one we were chosen to handle by any means necessary. I assume you're not willing to give us any trouble, so we would appreciate if you cooperate, so that we might leave the instant Aizen finishes patching up your student down there" she pointed at Enkou, whose breath became steady as the dreadlocked man was about to end his treatment.

"I'm afraid I won't be much help either way" the Leaf jounin replied, pointing to the forest. "Last I saw your nukenin, he was heading north; I can only assume he has some backup, as my student was not wounded by him, so it's a safe bet you're dealing with a duo at least. Him being a former Shinobi Swordsman, I'm also guessing you know about his abilities just as much as I do, if not more" he added, glancing at the bald giant on his side.

"That will suffice" the female nodded at the news. Her eyes then traveled to the medic, who slowly walked towards them, shifting his head to the Jinchuuriki: "I've stopped the bleeding and closed the wound, but there was some internal damage, which is a bit more problematic to handle. He should be fine, so long as he doesn't push himself over the next month or so. I would also suggest you check in with a medic the moment you have a chance; surely that would be beneficial for him."

"Thank you" Naruto replied.

"Well, we best be going" the ANBU leader proclaimed. "If all goes well, at the very least you won't need to worry about Shuraba coming after you again" she announced as the quartet disappeared within the blink of an eye, instantly getting out of Rokku's sight.

The whisker-marked man only turned around and kneed next to his students, observing Enkou slowly pulling himself back up; the young Uchiha was still pretty pale and sweaty, but certainly seemed better then he was just moments ago: "How do you feel?"

"Like I was cut deeply with a big-ass sword" the boy replied a bit sarcastically, moving his palm down his chest, surprised to see no wound, although a trace of the blow was still visible as a big scar now decorated his torso: "He couldn't remove that?"

"There are limits to what even the medic-nins can do" Naruto responded calmly, getting up as he helped Enkou do the same. "You should be glad we ran into them, else you'd most likely be dead by now..."

The young Uchiha didn't react; in stead he kept scanning the scar for a while longer and then shifted his attention to Rokku, a wide smile appearing on his face: "Think this will earn me points with the babes?" he asked, making the kunoichi take a step back shocked, a tiny blush covering her cheeks.

"Well, if he's back to his bad jokes, at the very least it's safe to assume he's fine" Shindou noted with a sigh, while Enkou kept bugging Rokku over he newly-found 'manliness'. The blond jounin chuckled at the three's behavior, but quickly recomposed himself, glancing at Homare: "We should get going... there's still some travel ahead before we reach the Fang Country..."

"But... shouldn't we let Enkou rest a bit" the kunoichi asked shyly, lowering her head. "I mean... that Kyoushi guy and his underling will be on the run now... it's not like they can cause us any trouble soon..."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they're the only ones that might come after us" Naruto countered with a stoic voice. "Besides, we'll be much safer in Fang Country anyway. Also, it seems Nobunaga-san has not told us everything about our, current situation..."

"You know all you need to complete this mission" Homare shoot back with a frown. "The relationship between me and that mist-nin is none of your business!"

"Considering one of my subordinates nearly got killed, I'd say that is very much my business" the jounin pushed, narrowing his eyes. "Of course, if you're not willing to cooperate, I will not force you... on a similar basis, however, you cannot force us to continue with this task..."

The old man's eye twitched at the possibility as his mouth twisted in dismal. After a short, staring contest with the blond, he decided to give in, letting out a sigh as his face mellowed: "Fine... I'll tell you all about it..."

_**-The truth is revealed!-**_

And this concludes this chapter. So, what did you think of the Kiri ANBU? Their appearance in the mission was planned from the very beginning, despite it might feel a bit of an ass-pull. And yes – they are not just a "one time thing"; rest assured you'll get to know more about them eventually, so it's worth keeping them in mind ;)

_Kasai Kuiki: Houka Bakufuu no Jutsu _(Fire Domain: Fire Blast Skill)

Hope this chapter was worth waiting for and to all of you HAPPY belated HALLOWEEN! Hope you got a lot of candy. Until next time!

P.S. To those of you who also read my "Those..." fic – yes, that story is still gonna be updated, but with all the commotion in the past weeks, I just didn't had the time to write a longer chapter, which basically forced me to reschedule the upload of "Those..." for later. Hopefully, the next update will contain all, three fics.


	14. Prized Possession

Hey everyone! Didn't manage to dig out enough time to actually finish this sooner, but I just couldn't leave you hanging for New Year's and all ;) Generally December has been a busy month for me in the writing department. I do hope to gain more space and time in 2013, which would allow me to FINALLY get back to the usual pace of updating this fic, along with the other two. For now, I just hope you can coupe with updates going slow ^^'

Not much more to write here, so hope you'll enjoy the newest installment of LotL and find this chapter worth waiting for. The second part of Special Season Update begins:

**Chapter #14: Prized Possession**

_**Title Page:**_ Shindo is doing his tree-climbing exercise with hands in his pockets as he walks up the trunk of a Christmas Tree

A sixteen year old boy spun on his foot as he swung the bamboo sword at the training dummy, making hay spray all over the square. In a flash he retreated the weapon and thrust it in the same spot he just hit, piercing through the mannequin as his master slowly walked towards him with hands hidden in the wide sleeves of his robe:

"Very good, Kanbase" the man nodded in approval, making the teen bow his head as well in respectful manner. "I can see you have been training hard these past, few years. I must say that it's hard to imagine a more worthy successor of Akuratsu..."

"You give me too much credit, Homare-sensei" the boy replied with his head still lowered. "I am but a humble swordsman. My skills are far from mastery yet" he added, lifting his blue eyes to gaze at the elderly instructor. The youth's hair was shaved, leaving his bald head to stick out a little, which his attire consisted of a traditional, white robe.

"A man perfects himself all his life, Kanbase" his master announced calmly, eying the boy with his purple eyes. "Never forget that" he said in an ordering tone, receiving a nod from the teen. "Of course there is still the manner of a duel, but I'm confident you shall emerge victorious. Akuratsu has belonged to a samurai for twelve generations now and I trust you will not break that circle..."

"I shall do my best, sensei" the swordsman-in-training promised as the two slowly left the square, heading towards the temple.

Walking up the stairs, Kanbase gazed up, marveling the structure; it didn't matter he saw it everyday these past, few years, it always surprised him: massive, ivory columns welcomed those that reached the top of the long stairways, propping the square, marble roof, decorated with scenes of great battles on the edges. Thick, white walls sported the drawings of big, red dragons, that circled around the windows and corners.

As the duo entered the wide hall, a familiar voice hit the teen, making him instantly smile: "Niisan, niisan, I did it!" a boy, no more then five years of age, announced as he ran over towards the two: "I just completed your training exercise!"

"Training exercise?" Homare repeated, rising his eyebrow as the boy jumped onto Kanbase's back. The young swordsman scratched the back of his head embarrassed as he gave his master an apologizing smile: "I'm sorry, sensei... I've been teaching Futai some kinjutsu" he explained.

"Oh?" the samurai smirked under his nose at the news, giving the child a quick gaze. "And what exercise was it that he managed to complete then?"

"Hitosashi no Nanahoshi!" the boy replied proudly, making the man's eyes widen in surprise: "_The Seven Star Dance? At his age? But... it should take years to master..._"

"I'm sure he's exaggerating, sensei" Kanbase proclaimed hurriedly, seeing his master's expression. "Besides, I had to simplify the stance a bit, since he had trouble with the first, two stages, so even if he is telling the truth, it's far less amazing then he makes it seem" he added, sending his siblings a suspicious stare as a cocky smile appeared on the youth's face. "Now, with your allowance, I'd like to take my leave" he asked, bowing towards Homare.

The man gave a nod of a greement, watching the duo disappear in the nearest door frame: "_Regardless to its form, being able to even come close to mastering Hitosashi no Nanahoshi at this age... quite talented brats indeed_" he thought to himself with a smile...

-Few days later-

"Homare-san" the messenger appeared, bowing quickly before the samurai and his young pupil. The warrior nodded his head, allowing the man to continue, which he did a moment later: "Delegation from Kiri has arrived" he announced, making the old swordsman turned to his praised pupil:

"Then the time of your, final challenge has come, Kanbase" he stated before turning to the messenger: "We shall greet them in a moment" he informed, giving a clear sign that the man was free to leave. The messenger bowed again and exited the temple as the two samurai slowly headed for the doors as well.

Entering the square, they saw a trio of shinobi standing in the middle, waiting patiently. The one in center was a hulking, bald man with cold, blue and exposed, muscular chest, decorated with countless scars. Slightly baggy, dark blue pants hid his legs, while a massive, triangular sword hung on his back. His forehead protector was used as a belt.

To his left stood an elder dwarf, who barely reached his bald companion's belt with his height. Having long, gray hair and dropping mustache, he stood, bended forward, covered in a light green robe. He wore his hitae-ate in its rightful place, while a thin katana, three times his height, was horizontally strapped to his back.

The final member of the group was a young boy, barely over sixteen, with spiky, black hair and red eyes. A gray mask covered his mouth, while a vest in the same color was thrown above a black shirt. The teen also sported fingerless gloves and pants ripped on the knees, carrying a saw-like sword with him.

"Aseri-dono, Kuyoutou-san" Homare greeted the two, older swordsmen with a bow, receiving a nod from each as well. His eyes traveled towards the boy beside them, his expression remaining indifferent as he scanned the teen that was unfamiliar to him. "I assume he is the challenger?"

"Yes" the bald one, Kuyoutou, replied in a somewhat disrespectful manner as he kept his arms crossed, looking above the samurai. "This is Shuraba Kyoushi; Mist representative for the Duel..."

"Hold on a minute!" Enkou interrupted the story, snapping Homare back to the present as their group traveled through the forest. Their destination hung in the distance, majestically standing on the cliff of the mountain, awaiting their arrival as the quintet neared its gates. "Kyoushi as in the guy who attacked us?" he asked, receiving a smack on the head from Shindo:

"Well – duh!" he responded in a bored manner. "We did ask to hear about his connection to Homare-san, it should be obvious he'd drift in eventually..."

"Yes" Naruto nodded at his student's comment, keeping hands in his pockets as he walked besides the samurai. "What I don't get is why were they there? As I remember, Fang Country was never allied with Land of Water... frankly, your relations has be hostile for quite some time now..."

"True" Homare agreed, gazing out front. "In a way, the reason for it is what happened later. What you need to know is that Akuratsu is an ancient blade, one of great value. Legend has it that in the time of warring states, there was a group of swordsmen who wielded several katana of that magnitude... that group, supposedly, became what was known as samurai, but some joined the newly formed villages, becoming the first Seven Shinobi Swordsmen..."

"What the hell?" the young Uchiha snapped, rising his voice. "You were all high-and-might about samurai not using dirty tricks like chakra, but in the end you're a descendant of a ninja!" he pointed out, showing off the tiniest bit of satisfaction.

"That's not exactly accurate" Rokku joined the conversation, making all males look over their shoulder as the kunoichi closed their procession. "The warring states period had many mercenaries that lacked in usage of chakra. When shinobi villages were formed, they remained with their clans that began the alliance, becoming members as well. Many, famous ninja families grew from people who gave birth to the samurai institution – Gekkou and Damashi from Konoha are just few examples of such..."

"Quite right" Homare nodded, approving of her knowledge. "Anyway, over the years most swords got broken and Akuratsu is the only blade that remains from that period. But, since it's near impossible to determine whether it rightfully belongs to the samurai or shinobi, the institution of The Duel was formed; once in every generation, the samurai choose a prodigy who will battle the representative of the Seven Swordsmen for the right to wield the blade. Ten years ago, that honor was granted to Kanbase... and Kyoushi..." he announced, lowering his head as the memories struck hard as lighting, making him recall the past mistakes...

-That time, isolated cavern-

Kyoushi gazed at the entrance to the cave just as a familiar figure in a gray jacket appeared in the opening. The ANBU reached for his, oval mask, keeping his body wrapped in a chain as his blood-red eyes settled on the two, missing-nins that patiently awaited his arrival. The cyclopean swordsman send him a glare, visibly annoyed by the recent ordeal, but dared not to comment.

"I believe I've managed to lead the pursuers away, but eventually they'll be back" the man announced in a monotone, showing no trace of emotion on his face. "Assumingly this bought you three-four days tops. I suggest you use that time to get some distance between yourselves and them... I know Sayuri – she will not give up that easily..."

"Yes, well, I'm not going anywhere" Kyoushi responded, crossing his arms, while his eye narrowed.

"You're still on that?" the ANBU rather stated then ask, letting out a sigh. "You do realize that geezer is gonna be surrounded by a legion of samurai now. There is no way the two of you could even reach him, skipping the fact that Leaf jounin is definitely still gonna be there as well..."

"You're wrong" the masked swordsman replied with determination. "The Ritual of Passage is a sacred ceremony... only the selected few will be allowed to even be near the altar at the time. I should know" he proclaimed, sliding his fingers down the scar on his eye. "I can still get what is rightfully mine..."

"I'll never understand why you're so hung up on that sword" the chain wielder proclaimed, putting his mask back on. "You are carrying one of the Mist's Seven blades... it's a much more powerful weapon then that, rusty knife..."

To this Kyoushi didn't respond, merely sending him another glare. Sensing tension, Kougan stepped between the two, bowing towards the their ANBU ally: "Thank you for your assistance, Chuugi-san... I believe we can take it from here."

"Yeah... maybe" the man gave an unsure nod as he headed back to the exit. "But remember my words, Kyoushi – this obsession of yours is what will get you killed... you and the brat" he stated before disappearing.

The teen gave his master a concerned look as well, carefully choosing his next words: "So... what shall we do now, Kyoushi-sensei?" he asked somewhat shyly, but the man didn't even bother to gaze at him as he replied, staring into space: "We prepare for upcoming battle... next time, I'll go all out and kill that old fart along with the blond..."

_**-a dark premonition!-**_

And so this chapter's done, along with the first part of Homare's story. Hope you enjoyed it and yes, if one of the Mist Swordsmen (aside from Kyoushi) seemed familiar to you, then I compliment you on your memory – he should ;) For now I'll be keeping that "hush-hush", but generally all mist-nins introduced in this arc will, one way or the other, effect the story... so you might wanna keep an eye on them ;)

I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter and since we're nearing that, magical time of the year (and since I won't be updating LotL before 2013) I'd like to wish you all _**MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_ See you all in 2013 ;)


	15. A Tale of Two Swordsmen

Wow; once I got around to this chapter, it didn't took too long to finish... albeit I did stumbled onto an author's block just as I began the flashback ^^' Luckily that passed after a couple of days and so I managed to complete this :)

I wish to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter – it really means a lot, you guys. You're the people I'm writing this story for ;)

With that said, let us move straight into the first installment of LotL of 2013:

**Chapter #15: A Tale of Two Swordsmen**

_**Title Page:**_ Enkou is standing behind a DJ equipment with his arms crossed, sunglasses on his face and a cap put on backwards on his head

"So, basically, that Kyoushi guy and Kanbase fellow were supposed to duel for the right to wield this sword?" Enkou summed up the story, pointing at the katana strapped to Homare's belt. The elder samurai nodded calmly as the group kept moving up the mountain, towards the temple.

"I don't really get it" Shindo announced, hands in his pockets. "Even with chakra, it seems to me the ninja would have an advantage in such a battle... it's admirable that the samurai kept on winning for several generations, but it seems highly unlikely that all this is that simple."

"Well, it isn't" the man replied, glancing at the boy. "Tis true that both shinobi and samurai have their... unique abilities, however the Duel was a battle of honor; no chakra allowed... the winner is decided purely by their sword-fighting skills" he proclaimed simply. "At least that's how it was supposed to be..."

"What do you mean, Homare-san?" Rokku asked curiously. The samurai hesitated for a moment, yet seeing the urging gaze of Naruto, he let out a sigh and then continued the story, while the group headed up the road, cold, mountain breeze smacking their faces:

Kyoushi struck the tip of his sword into the ground as he entered the arena, walking towards its center. From the opposite side, Kanbase headed his way as well. The both reached Homare at the same time, staring at each other as the elder samurai presented them two, identical katana. The mist-nin was first to grab the blade as he carefully scanned the weapon. With a nod, he indicated this sword will do, allowing his opponent to choose the other.

With preparations ready, Homare bowed slightly before walking off the arena to join Aseri and Kuyoutou on the edge of the ring. The two combatants also bowed to one another and gently taping their blades, they began the duel with the shinobi instantly charging forward, swinging the weapon horizontally.

Kanbase blocked the assault with his katana and as the blades clashed, he used all his might to deflect his opponent's weapon, leaving Kyoushi open. With a thrust of his sword, the samurai aimed at his adversary's chest, forcing the masked boy dodge by moving to his right.

Turning on his foot, the mist-nin made the attack go inches before his stomach, while he spun the katana in his grip and, with the blade facing downwards, he attempted to stab his rival in the back, having both his arms spread to the sides. Seeing this, Kanbase strafed right himself, avoiding the assault and coming to a sliding stop, he charged his opponent at top speed.

Cutting from below, he aimed to split his enemy in two, yet Kyoushi blocked that assault and putting his free hand into motion, he aimed a punch to the samurai's face, taking the other boy off guard. As the fist came close, Kanbase tilted to the left, avoiding the blow and spun on his foot, launching a horizontal swing.

The masked swordsman ducked under the blade and went for his opponent's legs, forcing the latter to take a few steps backs. Once the attack missed, the samurai slashed from above at the still lowered form of the mist-nin, but Kyoushi managed to block that assault as well, making the weapons cross once more.

As the 'clang' echoed through the training square, the shinobi rolled to the right and coming to a sudden stop, he lunged at his adversary, this time aiming at the neck. To his surprise, Kanbase managed to stop the attack by hitting the incoming with the tip of his katana. The unexpected blockade thrown Kyoushi's weapon off course, while the samurai thrust his forward in a fashion that would pierce right through the masked boy's throat.

Instantly the mist-nin jumped back, his breath slightly faster as he narrowed his eyes, settling them on his opponent, whose both breath and expression remained calm and collected, just as they were at the start of their duel. This angered the shinobi a bit, tightening his grip on the sword as he resumed the fight, charging forward with a battle cry.

The new-found fury added to his speed, allowing him to beat the distance in a flash, but as he swung parallel to the ground at Kanbase's head, the latter easily ducked and cut horizontally as well, ripping Kyoushi's side, albeit shallowly.

A burning sensation spread through the mist-nin's body as he quickly disengaged, yet the samurai was not about to let him rest, immediately rising to a standing position as he chased after the masked boy, swinging from the other side.

The shocked shinobi barely blocked, propping his defense with a palm to the blunt side of his blade, his left side aching due to the vibration of the clash. Noticing an opening, Kanbase instantly retreated his katana and cut lower, going for his adversary's right leg.

Kyoushi reacted almost immediately... but almost was not enough as he felt the cold steel of a blade cutting his skin, making the landing a bit more painful then it should've been. This fueled his anger further as he charged his opponent in stead, unleashing a fury of slashes, all of which got easily parried by the samurai.

"The young ones fight with much enthusiasm" the one called Aseri noted, stroking his mustache as he observed the match with a wide smirk. Kuyoutou kept his arms crossed and a stone-cold expression as he answered, without even glancing at his companion: "Kyoushi obviously lacks finesse in contrast to your subordinate, Homare-dono... it's quite apparent he chooses to make up for it in strength, but tis a fool's way."

"Are you actually implying... that Kyoushi-kun will lose?" the elder ninja asked in a teasing manner, but the bald giant said no more, still closely watching the duel out front. The short swordsman shifted his attention back to the ring as well, his smirk not disappearing from the face: "You still think we shouldn't have picked Kyoushi-kun for this fight, don't you?"

Kuyoutou's eyes narrowed at those words, but he remained solid. However, hearing this, Homare turned towards the two, suspicion taking over his expression at the news he have just heard.

Meanwhile Kyoushi kept pressing on Kanbase, forcing the latter to take a step back every now and then, yet still failing to land a single cut on the samurai. Eventually he made the mistake his opponent needed and as his swing got parried, the other boy thrust his katana forward, scourging the mist-nin's right arm, which held the sword.

Immediately the masked swordsman jumped back as he felt the grip on his weapon loosening. With a frown he glanced at his new wound, seeing the blood slowly spread onto the entire arm; the cut may have been swallow, but widen enough to cause discomfort... to put in lightly.

"With no disrespect" Kanbase began, his voice as calm as his expression. "I believe the result of this duel has been decided. If you choose to continue, I shall meet your demand, but know that I will not think any less of you, should you wish to forfeit, Kyoushi-san."

"Forfeit?" the shinobi almost roared at the proposal, fury twisting his face. "I'll show you the real power of the Hidden Mist!" he proclaimed, sinking his blade into the floor as his hands came together in the form of a seal.

In a blink of an eye his arms flashed, completing the technique while he ripped his mask off, unleashing a powerful steam of water from his lips: "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" he called out as the liquid formed into a serpent-like cyclone, which went straight at Kanbase, cracking the ground as it zoomed near it.

Keeping his cool, Kanbase strafed left, dodging the first strike, yet the dragon quickly turned, coming at him again, this time from behind. Acting on instinct, the samurai jumped over the assault, hoping to make the steam smash into the floor. No such luck as the liquid instantly bended and dashed upwards, straight at the airborne boy.

Before the attack connected however, Kuyoutou appeared in its way, his lance-like katana in hand. With a loud roar, the muscular swordsman swung vertically at the liquid, literally cutting it in half. The water split, harmlessly speeding on both sides of the samurai and the mist-nin, dropping onto the ground a moment later, slowly sinking between the stones of the square.

"Kuyoutou-san?" Kyoushi began, visibly confused, but before he could elaborate on his question, the bald giant delivered a powerful punch to his face, knocking the boy to the ground, not giving him enough time to act. Feeling his jaw aching like crazy, his eyes set on the older swordsman, whose expression changed from stoic into angry.

"Do you even realize what you've just done, you stupid brat?" the man roared again, narrowing his eyes, much to the masked shinobi's horror, who crawled away slightly at the sudden outburst: "I... I wanted to win..."

"You've just disgraced Kirigakure, along with ages-long tradition!" Kuyoutou proclaimed, aiming the tip of his humongous blade at Kyoushi's head, stopping only inches away. "I always felt that you weren't ready for this honor, but the other Swordsmen decided differently... know, however, that now even they shall turn away from filth like you!"

"But... but..." the boy began, only to feel his body getting restrained by solid metal. He glanced over his shoulder to see Aseri has released his sword as well; a long katana, separated into sections, each connected with a thick wire of iron. Before the masked ninja could do a thing, the blade wrapped around him, leaving only the legs unbound.

"Now, now, Kyoushi-kun" the elder said in a playful voice, keeping a smirk on his face. "You do not wish to make your situation worse, do you?" he rather stated then asked, using a teasing tone as he jumped onto the ring and neared his companion. "What shall we do now, Kuyoutou-san?"

"Take this brat back to the village" the titan responded calmly, his voice emotionless, yet one could still see the anger written all over his face. "He will face judgment for this dishonor" he announced, turning towards the boy: "And, rest assured, it will be beyond harsh..."

Aseri merely bowed and, still smiling, led the prisoner out of the temple, picking out the latter's sword in the process and leaving the other three to themselves. Once they were out of sight, Kuyoutou turned to the elder samurai, bowing his head deeply: "I apologize for the irreverence of our representative... naturally, we accept our loss on the ground of rules being broken... Akuratsu shall remain with you for this generation as well..."

Homare nodded at his action, showing he agreed, while the mist-nin turned towards Kanbase, his face back to his usual calm: "You possess great skill, young one... take good care of that katana" he asked before slowly heading after his two companions.

As things settled, the elder samurai spun around, walking back towards the temple: "You did well, child" he proclaimed as he passed his student by. "It is regrettable that it ended this way, but you definitely earned the right to wield Akuratsu... we shall proceed with the Ritual of Passage in a couple of days... use that time as you see fit..."

The boy bowed to his master; he wanted to smile, however recent events forbid him to do so. This was his victory, that much was undeniable, and yet it didn't feel quite right... and certainly not the way he dreamed it will be...

-Flashback end-

"I don't exactly get it then" Naruto proclaimed, interrupting the story as he walked out front with hands in his pockets. "The Duel was won by this... Kanbase fellow and the sword remained in samurai possession... so how come you're the one that still carry it, Homare-san?"

"Because not everything is so simple" the swordsman responded with slight dismal as his face twisted at the memory. "And besides... that isn't the end of the story" he added, making Enkou glanced at him confused, while the man continued: "From then on... it all started to fall apart..."

_**-continued in chapter #16: Right of Passage-**_

Yeah, I figured I'll stray from the usual "suspenseful" comments at the end and just give away the title of the upcoming chappie in stead. Doubt anyone cares, but if you do, tell me which of the two you prefer. I figured it'll be best to make this in Lotl as it's easiest to determine how much story I'll manage to put into the next installment specifically and thus makes it easier to choose a title in advance :)

I gotta say I'm somewhat stomped – the mission arc is actually progressing at a slower pace I imagined it will... NNG and "Those..." would likely be halfway through by now and yet here I feel like I barely made one-third of the whole ordeal... possibly less even ^^' Not sure if I should count that as good or bad though ^^'

_Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu _(Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Skill)

Well, that's it for this time... hope you enjoyed the first chapter of LotL in 2013! Thanks for tuning in and until next time!


	16. Right of Passage

Wow, seems that this update is filled with problematic chapters ^^' Makes me ALMOST glad I decided to skip "Those..." this time around (NNG will be coming as soon as my new beta will finish betalizing it). To be honest, halfway through this chappie I decided to change it a bit, though currently I'm not entirely convinced it was for the better... guess only you guys can decide that.

As always I wish to thank those that do sacrifice their time to write a few words about this story. It really means a lot and is the main reason I'm capable of continuing this tale through thick and thin ;) Really – thank you guys (and girls ;)).

Not much more to say at this point besides "enjoy":

**Chapter #16: Right of Passage**

_**Title Page:**_ Rokku in a mine is dressed in a collier get up with a helmet equipped in a flashlight; holding a pickaxe in one hand, the kunoichi is carefully analyzing a small lump of gold she just found

"I've finished the scout, Kyoushi-sensei" Kougan announced, appearing beside his master on the branch as the duo hid in the tree tops of a coniferous forest, watching a temple that stood on the cliff of a nearby mountain. The forest itself climbed up the hills, often towering over the stone peaks, allowing clear view of the valley for anyone, who was skilled enough to get up its trunks. "But it is as Chuugi-san said: the place is crawling with samurai; there's little hope we can win..."

"We won't need to fight those samurai" the masked shinobi replied, pointing downwards. As the boy followed the direction, he spotted a small pagoda located miles away from the temple, near a mountain lake with a path of wide, square stones leading up from it towards the establishment. "The Ritual will take place there and only a handful of people will be allowed nearby; it is possible that even that blond Jinchuuriki will be absent. We just need to make sure that reinforcements won't reach the place in time."

"Then we'll need to secure the path" the teen concluded, receiving a nod from the other swordsman. "That should be easy enough... but I don't understand, Kyoushi-sensei: performing the Ritual of Passage this way clearly leaves the interested party at a huge disadvantage in case of attack... why would the samurai keep insisting on it?"

"Because it's tradition" the masked man responded, narrowing his eye. "Some find such things very important and comforting... clinging to the past allows you to forget the present, living in the so called good, old days... a constant that shows the world is not changing entirely... once you get through enough in your life, you'll understand that having such constants... is a valuable aspect of existence" he announced as his mind drifted off some years back...

-Ten years ago, Fang Country-

"Who would've thought that you'd go that fat" Aseri said to no-one in particular as he walked behind Kyuoshi, the dwarf's sword still wrapped tightly around the boy. "We had high hopes for this Duel too and yet you were completely overpowered... that is quite frustrating" he added in a playful tone, not even bothering to pretend he was indigent.

Suddenly the boy stopped, making the older swordsman rise his eyebrow curiously. The masked ninja gazed at the ground, narrowing his eyes, while his muscles tensed: "That katana should belong to us" he proclaimed in a grim voice. "You know this just as well as I, Aseri-san. We are superior in skill to the samurai... it's only because of these, stupid rules that they are able to beat us. Answer me – why, as shinobi, do we agree to this?" he demanded, looking over his shoulder.

The elder gently moved his free hand through his mustache, his face indifferent as he watched the boy. After a short moment, he replied, his voice completely rid of emotion: "Change is not always easy to acquire... for most part, we're forced to take life as it is, incapable of influencing the higher forces that set its course."

"But we are not puppets" Kyoushi shoot back angrily. "We are free to do as we choose!"

To this, Aseri smirked; young minds are easy to manipulate in the end: "So you're that determined to force the change?" he asked, quickly turning his expression serious, faking worry in his voice. "This is not the road that you can easily abandon afterwords" he announced, but the boy's gaze gave him the answer he needed. With a nod, he loosen his sword, releasing the captive, while the blade retreated: "The Ritual will likely take place in a few days... you'll need to lay low until then and avoid Kuyoutou... even I can stall for just a limited time..." and with those words he tossed the teen a saw-like katana, which he grabbed in mid-flight.

Kyoushi nodded and quickly disappeared among the tree tops, leaving the elder ninja to smirk under his nose: "_This isn't exactly what I hoped for... but Akuratsu belongs to the Hidden Mist and I won't allow another generation of shame to befall the Shinobi Swordsmen... even if I'd have to push that boy straight into the Abyss!_"

Days quickly passed and the time for the Ritual came; without haste, Homare led his student down the path of massive, square stones that sunk into the ground, leading the duo through the thick bushes of the surrounding forest. No-one accompanied them as they marched down the mountain, Kanbase dressed in the traditional, ceremonial robe.

Just as the custom required, the boy carried no weapon; in just few moments, he was to receive the most famed blade among his people. Honor dictated to show the sword respect by now giving it any competition. Once they reached the end of the path, the teen was a pagoda with a red roof, held by four, golden columns, each decorated with a dragon. The structure was elevated on an ivory platform with a small, square well located opposite of the shrine.

Without a word, Kanbase headed towards the water source and taking some of the liquid into his hands, he proclaimed the chant that by now he knew all too well: "I ask that this holy water clear my heart, allowing me to fulfill my duty as a samurai to the best of my ability. Do not let me stray from the path that I've chosen, giving me strength to move forward, no matter the obstacles" he finished, drinking the substance.

Once the water traveled down his throat, he joined Homare at the pagoda, with the elder swordsman nodding approvingly. The boy dropped to his knees, bowing his head as his mentor stepped forward, Akuratsu held out front while its master spoke: "As it was for generations, this blade is given to the one worthy of its glory. Kanbase, it is now your task to keep this katana's repute alive, using it for the sake of justice and refraining for unsheathing it when not needed. Are you ready to take such responsibility?"

"I am, Homare-sensei" the teen assured him, keeping his head down, while the man extended the sword towards him: "Then rise and..." but before he could finish, his ears caught a whistling sound, making instinct kick in; in a flash he jumped back, unsheathing Akuratsu, while Kyoushi dropped from the air, drilling his large katana into the very spot the elder just stood.

Without delay the ninja pulled his sword out, making the blade break into tens of pieces that spread through the platform, ripping the air. Homare managed to deflect the projectiles, yet Kanbase, who was unarmed, took several cuts across his body as he gained distance between himself and the assailant.

Kyoushi's katana slowly returned to its original form as the masked teen readied himself for battle. The elder samurai however narrowed his eyes, visibly angry: "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, despite knowing the answer.

"I'm just here to take what rightfully belongs to me" the mist-nin answered calmly with a stoic face. "If not for Kuyoutou-san, the Duel would've been won by me, so Akuratsu is mine. I would've given you a chance to give it up peacefully, but you wouldn't take it anyway, so why bother?" he went on, settling his eyes on the man. Eyes that were now deep purple.

"_Different pupils_" Homare realized instantly, going into his fighting stance as well. "_Must be some sort of kekkai genkai_" he concluded, throwing Kanbase a quick glance. Knowing that the teen couldn't help without a weapon, the swordsman was on his own.

"You should learn your place, brat" the samurai announced calmly, pointing the tip of his sword at the shinobi. "Now you will know why I am called Tetsu Zetsumei Nobunaga" he stated, charging right at the mist-nin.

Kyoushi merely smirked behind his mask as he bended back, dodging the first swing, aimed at his head, and then blocked the blade that came from his left. To his surprise however, the speed of his opponent raised, allowing Homare to attack the shinobi from lower right, barely giving the latter enough time to deflect the assault.

Samurai's speed kept on increasing, making it near impossible to keep up and as the clangs of clashing metal spread through the shrine, the masked boy found himself pushed back, retreating to the edge of the platform as the attacks grew more and more furious. With no room left to move, Kyoushi widen his smirk as the blade came at his chest...

Only for the iron to cut Kanbase, releasing blood from the young samurai's body. Homare's eyes nearly went out of orbits at the sight, while he saw a shocked expression on his student's face, indicating he was no wiser as to what just happened. While the wounded boy dropped to his knees, the elder swordsman looked over his shoulder, spotting the mist-nin standing on the opposite side of the platform. In the very same place Kanbase just stood.

"_What?_" he could only question as his student struggled back to his feet, trying to cover the wide cut with his arm. Seeing his reaction, Kyoushi spun his sword as he spoke with a cocky tone: "Neat trick, huh? This is the power of my bloodline limit, Sorigan, said to equal Sharingan in terms of dimensional magnitude!" he added proudly.

"_Dimensional_" Homare repeated in his mind as realization struck: "_He can switch places with anyone he gazes upon at will!_" he analyzed, allowing a single drop of sweat to run down his face. Certainly that was not an ability to trifle with.

"Now you know how futile your resistance is" the mist-nin proclaimed, charging at the two. His eyes only widen as the elder swordsman disappeared from his view completely, reappearing inches before him, cutting from below. Before the masked shinobi could react, he felt the cold steel of the blade scourge his face, splitting his right eye.

The sudden pain forced the teen to take a few steps back as he covered his pupil, agony throbbing through his head. A burning sensation spread across his face while blood cascaded down his cheek, letting the crimson liquid stain the floor as it did the blade.

"You put way too much trust in that ability of yours" Homare announced calmly with a stoic expression. "All I need to do to counter it, is get rid of your eyes" he stated, making his opponent's face twist in pure fury.

"No, it's you who doesn't get it!" Kyoushi snapped, making his blade break into pieces again, each hoovering around his body. "With this ability, I can defeat anyone!" he yelled as the blades flew at him while the ninja glanced at the elder samurai.

In a flash Homare got teleported right between the blades that sunk into his body. With inhuman reflex, he managed to deflect most of them, yet some of the projectiles still ripped his skin, forcing the swordsman to his knee. The steel spikes retreated, reforming themselves into the blade of Kyoushi's katana, while the teen stood in the same spot the samurai occupied just a moment ago.

"Now do you see?" he asked annoyed. "As long as I can keep up with my eyes, I will always get you" he declared with confidence. To his surprise, his one, good eye got covered an instant later as Kanbase used his other hand to grab his arm, immobilizing the mist-nin.

"Then we need to take away your sight" the young samurai stated, nodding towards his master. The man knew what was to be done and aiming the tip of his sword at the masked teen, he charged forward in the attempt to pierce the latter's heart... only to again cut Kanbase, who switched places with the shinobi in the last second.

Immediately Kyoushi jumped back, yet the point-blank range made it impossible to avoid the assault completely and the blade still cut ripped his right side as he came to a sliding stop, seeing his adversary drop dead to the floor. A smirk crossed his face before he burst out laughing at the outcome: "Did you really thought it was that simple? Even if I don't see, the thing that blocks my view is still subdue to my ability! My kekkai genkai is unstoppable, period!"

But Homare wasn't listening; he just kneeled next to his fallen student, who died by his own blade. As a samurai, he was supposed to throw away emotions as they cloud judgment, but this was unacceptable. With his eyes narrowed, he rose back to his feet, pumping chakra into the blade as he set his sight on the mist-nin.

With one, smooth swing, he cut air, but the masked teen's eyes widen as his left arm suddenly received a slash that ripped his muscles, making the hand hung limply. Shocked, he turned to gaze at the elder swordsman, only to see him swing parallel to the ground, this time allowing some, invisible force to drill through the shinobi's chest, leaving a long, horizontal wound.

What was even more surprising, Kanbase, who now laid dead on the platform, seemed to receive the exact, same damage as Kyoushi. With another slash, his right shoulder began burning while the young samurai's robe ripped in the same spot. Confused, the Kiri ninja glanced at Homare's katana, seeing the blade covered in blood.

"_I get it!_" he realized as his left leg got cut. "_By releasing chakra into the sword and mixing it with my blood, he's able to connect to the one in my body and injure me without contact! Since that guy's blood also stained the blade, the technique works on him as well! Shit, that's a frightening skill... and one even my Sorigan cannot protect me from!_" he analyzed, panic slowly taking over.

Meanwhile, Homare swung again, inflicting a cut on the mist-nin's already wounded right side. Cursing under his breath, Kyoushi performed a quick seal, making his body vanish from sight.

The elder samurai narrowed his eyes at this as he glanced around: _"Teleportation technique... he can be miles away by now... and Ketsueki Kankei only works on a certain distance... if I keep using it, I'll be only disgracing Kanbase's body further_" he concluded, releasing a deep sigh as he sheathed Akuratsu and lifted his student up: "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you, my pupil" he apologized, lowering his head in the process. "That I was too proud..."

-Flashback end-

"It is only because I was too weak that this sword is still in my possession" Homare concluded, suddenly stopping as he held out Akuratsu, staring at it mesmerized. His hand shook, while his grip tightened on the katana's sheath. "I cannot allow that to happen again... for the sake of my own honor and future generations... and that is why you are here" he added, shifting his gaze at Naruto.

The blond didn't respond, keeping his calm exterior, while Shindo lowered his head slightly. To everyone's surprise, it was Enkou that replied the samurai with a passion the jounin didn't expect the boy to have: "Rest assured, Homare-san,we will not fail!" he promised, slamming his fist against his palm.

"_Homare-san?_" the young Arashi repeated with a smirk. "_Since when is he so respectful to the geezer?_" he wondered, oblivious to the fact Rokku glanced to the side, taken back by the ordeal: "_Pride of a swordsman, huh?_" she concluded, lowering her head further.

"Well said, Enkou" Naruto finally spoke, rubbing his student's hair before he resumed his march, followed by the gennin. The samurai also managed a smile; with the weight lifted from his chest, he felt things were going in the right direction. Perhaps there was a chance for his retribution yet? Still, Kyoushi's shadow hung nearby... the battle was still far from over...

_**-continued in chapter #17: Lineage-**_

And with this the story behind Kyoushi and Homare is revealed! Actually, the happenings of this chapter were originally split into two installments, but I decided to sped it up a bit and shorten the skirmish between the two (in its primary version, it was a bit more flashy, since Kyoushi didn't go for his bloodline limit directly and Homare struggled against Sorigan a tad too ;))... whether this is better or not, I let you decide.

_Sorigan_ (Warp Eye)

_Ketsueki Kankei_ (Blood Connection)

By the way, if anyone wonders, _Tetsu Zetsumei Nobunaga_ roughly means "Iron Death Nobunaga".

And that's that for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for tuning in and see you next time!


	17. Lineage

Took a bit long to update this... but it doesn't look like much people care anyway, so... ;P

To those that do care – I really appreciate it, thank you for reviews and hope you'll find this chapter worth waiting for. It's for you guys that I'm keeping this story up.

Kind of a short AN this time... must be losing my 'touch' :D

**Chapter #17: Lineage**

_**Title Page:**_ Shindo is surfing on a wave with his hands formed in a Suiton seal

The group finally reached the massive, wooden gates of the complex, towering over the mountain road. The red exterior was decorated in the middle by a black, metal lion, while ivory walls surrounded the compound. Shindo questioned the nature of such an idea with the outpost being located near the top of the mountain, but quickly shook it off; a waste of brain power.

The two mad, clad in thick, white body armor, crossed their swords as the quintet neared the entrance, only to separate the blades upon spotting the elder man, who walked in the center of the group. With a quick bow, the one on the right spoke, his helmet making the voice sound deeper: "Welcome back, Homare-san. We've been awaiting your arrival" he proclaimed, receiving a nod from the other samurai.

The gates slowly opened, clearing the path for the seasoned warrior and his ninja escorts. As they entered the square, Enkou's mouth opened at the sight – the place was filled with people, each dressed in a rather simple attire, training. On the right a long line of training dummies was tied to wooden pales or hung from branches, allowing trainees to strike their bamboo blades at the straw figures.

The left side contained several, small huts, most likely a living complex for the occupants of the temple. Building walls were completely white, giving out a feel of purity, and were design in a simple manner, as plain as possible. Further down the brick path, they got surrounded by training areas consisting of square arenas with, what appeared to be, gardens at the back, near the protective walls.

But the young Uchiha's attention quickly shifted from the sides to the structure out front, raised above others on a hill with a long stairway leading to it. This, massive building was ivory-white as well, yet much more stunning then any other with thick columns holding a flat, marble roof, decorated with scenes of epic battles. Each opening in its walls was surrounded by paintings of red dragons, while two, golden lions guarded the top of the stairs.

Enkou froze in his stop as they reached the top; never before has he seen something his grand. By all standards, even Hokage Monument couldn't compare. Also Rokku seemed to be struck hard by the splendor of the structure, leaving Shindo to be the only one left unfazed.

"Homare-sensei, it is good to see you've returned" they all heard a voice and glancing to the side, Naruto noticed a teenaged boy with short, spiky, black hair and blue eyes, who bowed to his knee at the sight of the elder samurai. "I am concerned over your apparent injury, however" he added, shifting his gaze at the swordsman's chest, seemingly aware of the wound.

"Nothing worth losing sleep over, young one" the other samurai assured him as the teen rose back to his feet. "These are my escorts from Konoha – Uzumaki Naruto I'm sure you at least heard of... the other three are his students: Hawatari Rokku" at the name the boy visibly flinch, making Shindo narrow his eyes just as Homare introduced him: "... Arashi and Uchiha Enkou."

"Uchiha?" the teen repeated, rising an eyebrow. "I thought that name was sort of taboo in the Leaf" he recalled, but quickly widen his eyes and bowed towards the young gennin: "I apologize for my rude comment... I just..."

"It's fine" Enkou stopped him, lifting his arm up in a calming gesture, which in turn surprised Shindo, who carefully stared at his teammate: "_Since when is he so humble?_"

"They will be staying in the temple until the Ritual" Homare announced simply to the boy, his exterior calm and collected. "Which also brings me to the question – is everything ready, Futai?" he asked, making the teen nod in response:

"Yes, Homare-sensei. We can begin whenever you'll find it convenient, but, if you would allow me to give an opinion, I would've preferred we wait with the ceremony until you're fully recovered. It might be degrading for you to attend the ritual at your, current condition."

"There's no need to worry over my health, boy" the elder samurai stated somewhat sternly, yet kept his stone face. "I am a bit tired from the long trip however, to which end we shall hold the ceremony five days from now. That should give us all enough time to make preparations we see fit."

"I understand, Homare-sensei" Futai bowed again, not daring to protest, which made Naruto recall their current Hokage. As the boy raised his head, the jounin turned to their client, curiosity showing on his expression: "Your new protege, I presume, Homare-san?"

"Not exactly how I would describe our relationship" the samurai replied, dropping his cold facade to show a concerned look as a memory of Kanbase appeared in his mind, while the teen before him glanced to the side. "But, that is one way to put it" he added, making Enkou narrow his eyes. The boy they just meet seemed familiar somehow, even though the young Uchiha was positive he has not seen him earlier: "Now, Futai, would you mind showing our guests their quarters? Preferably making them near my own, just in case..."

"Naturally, Homare-sensei" the boy obliged with a nod, pressing his fist against the chest before motioning to the ninja to follow. Naruto glanced at their client suspiciously, but the swordsman quick understood his concern: "As long as we are here, there shouldn't be any trouble; this place is filled with samurai after all. For now get some rest, we shall met up tomorrow to discuss anything you wish."

The blond nodded slowly and went after the youths, leaving the elder warrior to himself. Futai has led them through the main hall and into a rather narrow path, each side filled with doors: "We do not require much, so I'm afraid your accommodation will be nothing more then bare essentials" he stated without turning around to his guests. "I hope you do not mind."

"Shinobi sleep where they can" the Kyuubi vessel replied simply. After five days of traveling, a normal bed would be a welcome change, regardless to its condition. Their host said nothing to it, suddenly stopping to face the group as he pointed to his right: "Naruto-san, this shall be your room during your stay in the temple; Homare-sensei's quarter is just next door, thus I believe it will be most beneficial if we proceed with this arrangement."

Silently agreeing with the teen, the jounin allowed him to continue as the boy now showed the left side of the corridor: "The two rooms opposite shall belong to you; one for the lady and one for the both of you" he announced, gazing at Enkou and Shindo. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I fear there is no room to place you in separate bedrooms."

"As long as the pinhead won't snore, I'm good" the young Arashi proclaimed with a smirk, rubbing his comrade the 'right way' as the latter quickly turned, pressing his face inches away from the elemental master: "If I were to knock you out cold, my snoring wouldn't disturb you either! What say we give that a try?"

"Enough, guys" Naruto commanded, silencing them both. "We have a long journey behind us and Kami knows it was a bit more eventful then I would like. The sun will be setting soon, so while you are free to tour the temple grounds, I would advice you get some rest, since first thing tomorrow, we'll be resuming your training."

"Training?" Rokku repeated, slightly confused. "I'm sorry, Naruto-sensei, but what sort of training would you had in mind in a place like this?"

"You'll find out" the blond responded with a grin, making the kunoichi even more worried. With a wave, the man entered his quarter and shut the door, while Shindo yawned and stretched his arms: "I guess there is some truth to the 'long trip' thing... I'll hit the sack too" he proclaimed, making the girl nod.

"Seriously?" Enkou gave them a surprised look, dropping his hands at the sight of his teammates. "Aren't you guys at least a little curious about this place? How often do shinobi get a chance to walk around a samurai base? This is just too cool to pass up!"

"Well, I certainly won't be stopping you from wasting energy" the young Arashi replied with a shrug. "But a tired body is much less effective, especially since the organism requires rest to recharge its chakra reserves. Even if we are safe here, after that water-walking exercise from few weeks back, I prefer to be prepared for Naruto-sensei's training tomorrow" and with that he closed the doors.

Enkou just flipped his arm at him and walked down the hall, towards the exit; he was too hyped to sleep. This left Rokku and Futai alone, making the teen shifting his gaze on the girl. Instantly she looked away uncomfortably, but what the samurai said next magnified that feeling at least tenfold: "So you're supposed to be a shinobi? That is quite curious..."

"W-what ever do you mean?" the kunoichi stuttered, rubbing her hands nervously.

"Do not play me for a fool" the boy warned, yet his voice remained surprisingly gentle. "I know of your... clan. Hawatari is not a family from Konoha. In fact, they aren't even ninja in the literal sense. This begs a question what is your purpose?"

"I..." the girl began, words sticking in her throat. "I... am a Leaf gennin" she attempted to say proudly, yet her voice broke in the middle of the sentence. Unable to maintain eye-contact, she glanced to the side, this time speaking in a whisper: "There's... nothing more to me that that..."

"Really?" Futai asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. Seeing the Rokku shiver, his expression soften as he walked away, leaving her behind: "If you say so... but, personally, with your heritage, I find it hard to believe that you have popped up here at this, particular time by coincidence. I shall keep my eye on you, so I advice you keep that in mind" he finished before disappearing from the girl's view.

The kunoichi lowered her head, rubbing her arm slowly as his words sunk in. She remained like this for a while, her mind going on in circles: "_I'm a Leaf ninja, nothing more... I'm a Leaf ninja, nothing more... I'm a Leaf ninja, nothing..._"

"Rokku?" Naruto's head popped out of his room as he gave his student a worried look. "Is everything alright?"

The girl stared at him blankly and then managed a nod as she headed for her own room: "Yes. I guess I'll get my rest now. Good night, Naruto-sensei" she bid him farewell before shutting the doors. The blond narrowed his eyes slightly at her behavior, but decided to not dwell into the issue. Not now anyway; they will be spending a whole day together tomorrow...

Meanwhile Enkou walked behind the main building, right into a spacious garden that spread on the back of the temple. In the light of the setting sun, the trees which grew among the bush cast long shadows on the ground, shrouding the path in dark shades. Despite this, colorful flowers that traveled alongside the white-brick routes gave the whole place a rainbow-feeling, even in the dimming light of day.

The young Uchiha entered the garden, marveling the sights; little he did not know was that he was being watched; for on a branch in a nearby tree top, a familiar figure sat, carefully observing the boy. A figure which narrowed its red eyes, hidden behind a white and black, oval mask. His medium-length, spiky, black hair swayed in the evening breeze, even though his gray overcoat remained firm, wrapped in a chain to his body.

Chuugi was on temple grounds, ready to put his plans into motion...

_**-continued in chapter #18: Insight-**_

And that's chapter 17; not much action, but I can't have people beat each other up in every installment... what would be the sense of that? :D Hope you enjoyed the piece and see you next time!


	18. Insight

Being completely honest, I was skeptical to continue this, but over the course of the last, few months, among PMs asking me to continue my fics, a surprisingly high amount actually mentioned this one... so I figured I'll give it another shot and pick up where I left off.

At this point there isn't much to say except that I ask you review, just so that I know you're still interested in this story, because "Naruto" has been quite disappointing for me lately and it is getting harder to write fics based on it... thus I would prefer to sacrifice me writing time for stories that really do have a fanbase.

With that said, here's the latest installment of LoL:

**Chapter #18: Insight**

_**Title Page:**_ Naruto is feeding a baby fox with a bowl of meat and strokes its head gently

Enkou lowered his head to get a better glimpse of the aroma that beamed from the nearby composition of flowers. Sadly, the instant he did so, the air got ripped by a sudden noise as a steel chain wrapped around his body, immobilizing his arms as it push his back against a tree, tying the young gennin to it.

The whole motion took no more then two seconds, making the rookie leaf-nin confused as to what exactly happened. However, once he saw a figure with an oval black and white mask appearing before him, surprise got substituted with confusion.

"Wow, you really suck" the masked figure proclaimed, hanging its arms down in a disappointed manner. "No wonder I needed to save you from Kougan earlier; you have no skills at all..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Enkou demanded, struggling to get free. "Who the hell are you? One of those Mist ANBU?" he asked, seeing slight resemblance to the group his squad met back at the village, where they were ambush.

"You could say that" the figure responded simply. "My name isn't important as I do not intend to get friendly with you; I come to deliver a message to you and your, Leaf buddies" the masked man stated in a serious tone.

"And why the hell should I listen to you?" the young Uchiha snapped, trying to break free.

"You will listen, coz you don't really have a choice in the matter" the mysterious man responded calmly, though Enkou could almost feel a twitch erupting behind his mask. "Know that Shuraba Kyoushi has an obsession and it is Akuratsu; he'll stop at nothing get claim that blade as his own, especially since he already sacrificed almost everything for it... he forsake his good name, his clan, his village, his heritage... that katana is the only thing he has left. At least that is what he believes."

"I don't see why would I care."

"Isn't it your goal for being here? To protect that geezer? Right now, that samurai is one of three things that stand in Kyoushi's way, to I would figure this is very much your business. Rest assured that your battle with him is not over" the figure stated forcefully, making Enkou lower his head.

"Why should I believe you?" the boy asked the obvious question after a short silence, glancing suspiciously at the man. "Why are you even telling me this? Whose side are you on?" he demanded, feeling his bonds weaken. The next instant the masked visitor retreated his chain and backed away a few steps, no sign of change in his posture or voice.

"Who do I side with?" he repeated the gennin's question as he gazed to the side. "That is an interesting question... one I am not sure I can answer. At this time I'm not an enemy, if that eases your mind, however... pretty soon I will become one" he proclaimed before vanishing right before the leaf-nin's eyes.

-The next morning-

At the break of dawn, team number four exited the samurai complex and headed towards the surrounding forest. Naruto lead them through a path he scouted the other night, right into a small clearing with a lake just down the hill, giving them enough room for sparring and physical exercise, while still providing enough obstacles for a less straight-forward regime. Shindo felt a bit uneasy though, fearing the repeat of tree-walking training.

"Think we can trust him, Naruto-sensei?" Rokku asked the jounin once Enkou relaid the happenings of last night to his squad. The blond rubbed his chin gently, considering the girl's question as his eyes slightly narrowed: "Frankly, it's quite unclear what this guy's agenda is; from Enkou's description we can assume he's a Kiri ANBU or at least has access to their attire, but ANBU always operate in four-man squads, so he cannot be part of the team we ran into after our showdown with Kyoushi and his underling."

"You think he's in league with the two?" Shindo wondered out loud.

"Can't really rule out that possibility" the Kyuubi vessel replied immediately. "But, by most indication, we can also assume that it was him that provided that Kirigakure no Jutsu and, while it did save Kyoushi, simultaneously it also allowed Enkou to escape with his life. Furthermore, if he was working against us, he could've just killed our young Uchiha the other night; in stead he made a great risk sneaking into the complex just to give us a warning..."

"What should we do then?" Enkou questioned worriedly.

"For now we shall concentrate on making you guys stronger" Naruto responded with a smile, turning towards the boy. "The more skill you possess, the least likely the repeat of last time gets. Even in these circumstances it is clear you three can't rely on me coming to your rescue once the battle erupts. While it is a bit early for you to be thrown into such a predicament, you must be able to handle yourselves against enemy ninja and to help you with that, I've prepared a special, training regime for each of you. Lets start with Rokku" the Kyuubi vessel purposed as he reached to his pocket and picked out a small scroll; he handed it to the kunoichi, making the girl unwrap the object and scan down it curiously. After going through the first, few positions, she glanced back at the jounin, slightly confused: "But, Naruto-sensei, these are just physical exercises with a quantity note."

"Exactly" the whisker-marked man nodded calmly, making her even more confused. "Rokku, among all three, you're the most reliant on your ninjutsu. It's true that your Earth Release is quite powerful, for gennin standards anyway, but you're very inept in close combat; should you encounter an enemy that would manage to break through your Doton, the fight is as good as done, since you have no skill nor strength to handle yourself in hand-to-hand combat. This is why I want you to do these exercises until you're able to reach the number written beside each of the positions. Also, I expect that you'll be doing that until you'll manage to do the given number of sit-ups, push-ups and the like in a row, not a day."

"In a row?" the kunoichi repeated, widening her eyes as she gazed back at the scroll. "But, Naruto-sensei, these numbers... with my physique..."

"I don't expect you to succeed in a day or two" the blond assured her, rising his hand in a calming gesture. "But it sets you a goal and, as long as you'll be aiming to reach it, your capabilities will grow as well... besides, believe it or not, but a friend of mine constantly does a similar regime... with the numbers being at least fifty times more."

"Fifty times?" Rokku repeated, slightly discouraged. Meanwhile, Enkou looked over her shoulder and went through the list: "Actually, this doesn't seem that different then the training Erubisu bragged about back in the Academy..."

"Moving on" Naruto interrupted, allowing the girl to begin her training immediately. "Shindo, your bloodline limit provides you access to all, five elements but, at the same time, prevents you from actually mixing them. This grants you a wide variety of techniques are your disposal, yet, somewhat ironically, makes all your attack patterns predictable."

"How's so?" the young Arashi questioned, suspiciously rising his eyebrow. Certainly this was the first time anyone told him there was some weak point to the Taiken and that he simply could not imagine to be true.

"Most kekkai genkai are feared and respected because they're unpredictable" the whisker-marked man answered with a stoic expression. "Being vastly different from one another and scarce, their usage is quite unique; Mokuton, for example, literally allows one to control plant life, providing extreme edge in almost any environment... Byakugan gives nearly 360 degree x-ray vision, making it near impossible to get its user from a blind spot... but your Taiken is based on elements familiar to every shinobi out there, so your opponents can at least grasp what you can throw at them."

"But my clan devised techniques unique to Taiken" Shindo countered, getting a bit defensive. "Some are similar to known skills, but others are strictly related to the Arashi and the division into five domains."

"True, but at the core your fire is just fire, lighting is just lighting" Naruto pointed out, not the least bit surprised the boy used that line of defense. "You cannot make your Fire Release burn more fiercely or have your Wind Release blow stronger then the already set limits to such skills."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"The answer is quite simple really" the jounin stated, gently picking up a leaf from a nearby tree. "We will use the fact that you have affinity for all, basic elements and try to make you able in inducing them into your fighting style."

"What does that mean?" the young gennin asked, still a bit skeptical. "One uses seals to get the effect they want; that's how Futon, Doton and the sort were created... this is also true for Taiken five domains" he noted, getting somewhat distracted by the sudden glance of Rokku, who was currently doing another lap around the clearing.

"By pouring wind chakra into a blade, you can make it sharper" the Kyuubi vessel explained, playing with the leaf in his hand. "Mastering this would allow your fire to burn things that, typically, are immune to flames... by using earth chakra correctly, you can make any object much more resilient then it already is and so on. This is a very difficult training, but with your potential it could rise your power countless times... in theory anyway."

And that was enough to make Shindo eager: "Okay, so where do we start?"

"Well, since I'm a Wind type myself, I imagine mastering that element first would be the easiest, as I can be the most helpful" the whisker-marked man announced, handing him the leaf. "Thus, for starters, I want you to pour that type of chakra into this and cut it in half."

"Wait, how in the world am I supposed to do that without any hand seals?" the young Arashi was clueless; a pretty unusual sight for Enkou, who by then stopped listening to his sensei's explanation, more interested in what exactly was prepared from him. Once the chatter was done and his teammate began his regime, Naruto turned to him:

"Now, Enkou, your training will be quite different" the blond stated, settling his gaze on the young Uchiha. "Since I'll be overseeing Shindo's progress mostly, I asked for outside help in this endeavor" he announced, pointing towards the forest surrounding the clearing, from where a familiar teen appeared the next moment. "Futai-kun has agreed to assist us in the matter. To put it simply your task will be to spar with him in the middle of the lake..."

"Just that?" the raven-haired gennin seemed slightly offended by the fact. "But we all already mastered water-walking exercise you gave us and if this is supposed to prepare us for another encounter with that Kyoushi fellow and his goon, don't you think some ninjutsu training would be more beneficial?"

"That boy you mentioned is capable of reverting any technique you throw at him with his sword" the Kyuubi vessel reminded him simply. "Plus, since you're carrying Kusanagi with you, might as well learn how to use it properly and what better teacher in that area can there be than a swordsman? This will help with your reflex and coordination, giving you a better understanding of weapon usage as a whole" the whisker-marked man explained patiently, narrowing his eyes: "_Plus an even greater benefit... if we're lucky_" he added in his mind. "So then, Futai-kun... he's all yours" the jounin stated as he turned his attention towards Shindo.

"Right" the samurai nodded as he lead the way. "Lets begin immediately" he purposed, walking onto the water. Enkou merely let out a sigh and followed the young swordsman to the middle of the lake, reaching for his katana. Futai calmly watched him do it, his face indifferent, so his voice: "Even your way of holding the blade is wrong" he announced with the slightest hint of annoyance. "It is discouraging; to be honest, when Naruto-san asked me to do this, I was expecting a sparring with that Hawatari girl, no you..."

"Sorry to disappoint" the young Uchiha growled back with a twitching eye. "This isn't exactly what I was hoping for either, but since we're both powerless over the issue, how about you actually give me some pointers, if I really stink so much!"

"Right" the samurai took a quick breath and charged forward, slicing Enkou's side before the boy could even manage to realize what was happening. With his concentration lost, his feet began going below the water surface. Quickly he regained his focus, yet still dropped to his knee, grabbing his aching spot as blood slowly escaped the body, staining his palm.

"What the hell, bastard?" the leaf-nin snapped, annoyance overcome by fury. "We were supposed to train!"

"And that is preciously what we are doing" Futai responded calmly, pointing the tip of his katana at the young Uchiha. "The goal is to teach you how to properly wield a sword, but as I understand we are short on time, so normal training will not suffice. We cannot waste the day slowly going through ever form and swing. To hone your skills rapidly, it is best that we apply real-life mechanics as that will encourage your body to react properly on its own. Make no mistake however – with that sort of approach, if you're not fast enough... not durable enough... you will die" he announced, charging towards Enkou once again...

_**-continued in chapter #19: Will of Iron-**_

Yup, it is done... turned out a bit differently then I originally planned, but all things considered, I think it's a change for the better. No Kyoushi or Homare in this one, but rest assured I have not forgotten about them. This mission arc still has quite a bit to unravel and know that you will get the full scope of the major characters in it before the curtain falls.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and see you next time.


	19. Will of Iron

Well, this took a bit, but I have a lot of stuff on my head and the lack of reviews isn't helping to keep me motivated ;P On a plus side, I'm quite happy with how this chapter turned out :) Not gonna write much, coz I can't think of anything, so lets just get to the chapter, shall we?

**Chapter #19: Will of Iron**

_**Title Page:**_ the trio is racing: Rokku leads by riding an Ostrich, Shindo is close behind on a zebra, while Enkou is at the far end, trying to make his turtle run faster

Enkou sniffed, making the crimson liquid return to his nose as he sat with his head lowered, ignoring the pain and bruises. He felt his upper lip was cut as he tasted blood, but he would not dare say a thing. Not with his father standing beside him, arms crossed, and visibly angry.

Iruka allowed a single drop of sweat to run down his face as he observed his former student; certainly it was worrying to see him act like he did in these circumstances: "Thank you for coming, Sasuke-kun" the chuunin finally spoke, getting up from behind his desk. "As you can see, this time, the matter is rather... heavy."

"It's just kids' fight" the Sharingan master replied a bit sternly, sending his son a glare. "Boys will be boys, Iruka-san, and while I apologize for the trouble Enkou may have caused, I am not sure why my presence here was required."

"Are you really saying that?" the Academy teacher asked, not bothering to hide his disgust at the statement. "You know very well what this is about, Sasuke" he added, narrowing his eyes. "Enkou was jumped by three others and beaten specifically because he's wearing the name of your clan!"

"Konoha still holds a grudge towards Uchiha" the other man responded simply. "That is nothing new..."

"This is your son we're talking about!" Iruka snapped, interrupting him. "And this will keep on repeating if we do not find a solution! I have several classes to watch over! I cannot devote my entire attention to Enkou and whenever I'm not around, he gets persecuted! How much more does he have to suffer before you decide to take action?"

"And what would you have me do?" Sasuke replied with a twitch; only now did the chuunin realize his calm exterior was nothing more then a facade, one his former student learned to keep at all times. With the way things were, that was a necessity. "Beat those kids up? That would only agitate them further. Speak to their parents? With resentment to my clan most people have, that will accomplish nothing. Staying in the Academy myself? I have other duties that I need to attend, less our family loses any, financial means. The only, real option is for Enkou to stop attending Academy."

At this Iruka hesitated. Throwing the boy a sad glance, he shifted his eyes back to the Sharingan master, carefully choosing his next words: "Well... I know this wouldn't be anyone's first choice, but maybe..."

"Enkou himself stated that he will not forgive me if I do so" Sasuke proclaimed immediately, shocking the teacher even further. Taking a deep breath, the head of the Uchiha went on, his voice mellowed: "I actually considered tutoring him myself the first time he returned home looking like this" he announced, gazing at his son. "However he categorically refused the implication."

The chuunin gave his student a confused glance, unsure how to react. Enkou seemed to sensed the stare, for his rose his head, his resolve unshaken, as he spoke calmly: "I am to prove that Uchiha are still Leaf shinobi... ones to be reckoned with... how will I manage that if I would get preferential treatment, Iruka-sensei?" he asked rhetorically, challenging his teacher. "I can't simply back out coz it's hard; as long as it's for the reason I can accept... I'll gladly take any hardship!"

-flashback end-

Enkou blocked the incoming blade, crudely swinging Kusanagi at it. The metal let out a hollow 'clank' upon contact, but the other sword quickly retreated and lowered, its tip pointed at the leaf-nin's chest. The sudden thrust pushed the weapon forward and while the young Uchiha strafed right to avoid it, the sharp edge of the katana ripped his side, furthering the wound he received few seconds earlier.

Angered, the boy came to a stop and swung horizontally at his opponent, but Futai easily blocked by lifting his sword vertically, stopping the assault. Spinning on his foot, the samurai blasted Kusanagi back and cut low, shallowly marking the middle of Enkou's chest.

His opponent reacted immediately and brought his katana down in the attempt to slice the samurai's head, yet again the attack got blocked by the opposing blade, which then skidded down the sharp edge, releasing sparks, just before it slashed the young Uchiha's right leg, forcing him to wobble just to keep balance.

Thrown off his feet, Enkou left an opening, allowing Futai to swing his sword upwards, this time slicing the leaf-nin's left shoulder. The pain had an instant effect as the gennin hit the water, sinking bellow surface with a loud splash.

A moment later he resurfaced, gasping for air as water ran down his face, also mixing with his wounds, which multiplied the pain. Throwing several curses under his nose, the boy lifted himself up, getting back to standing on the liquid, his grip on Kusanagi a bit shaky.

"Burns, doesn't it?" Futai asked calmly, watching him struggle.

"Shut up!" Enkou snapped, his eye twitching as he tried to fight the pain. "Lucky shot!"

"Five of them, to be exact" the samurai countered simply. "And you're already weakened to the point you're about to drop your blade. One of the primary traits of a swordsman is his ability to withstand pain, not allowing it to affect his movement and technique. This isn't like taijutsu – if you hold your weapon wrong, it'll be much less effective... it can even make the difference between life and death."

"You had more practice then me" the young gennin growled at him, annoyed. "It should be obvious I cannot keep up with you right off the bat."

"_Well, that much is true_" Futai thought to himself without changing his expression. "_He has decent reactions, but his body is still too slow to evade and counter to such speed. But, if we train it to take action automatically, with his blood he could become untouchable_" he analyzed, readying himself once more. "Then adjust quickly" he advised, dashing forward.

In a blink of an eye he beat the distance and slashed from Enkou's left, forcing the latter to block with his sword. Another clank echoed through the forest, but the attack was far from over as the samurai flipped his hand and with amazing speed relocated his blade, cutting horizontally from the right, straight at the young Uchiha's head.

Unable to stop the assault, the leaf-nin ducked under, avoiding the blow, yet Futai's arm suddenly froze, allowing him to slice from above, once more going for his opponent's head. With no, other option, Enkou jumped back, making the katana slash at the water.

With another twist, the swordsman lifted his weapon and spun it in his grip, splashing the water that stuck to the metal. Small drops hit the Academy graduate's eyes, blinding him temporary. Subconsciously the young Uchiha attempted to wipe his eyes, yet this gave his adversary enough time to reach him once more. The instant the gennin regained his vision, he saw Futai's arm swinging from above in what was a deadly blow.

Before the hit came though, the samurai's wrist got grabbed, the strength of it powerful enough to release a soft crack from the pressure. Both boys looked to the side, confused, only to see Naruto standing there, displeased beyond measure.

"I fail to see when I gave you permission to kill my student" the jounin said sternly, narrowing his eyes at the young samurai. "Your job was to push him, not make him bleed to death" he added, visibly not amused.

"This is the most efficient way to make progress in a short span of time" Futai replied simply, unshaken. "I apologize if you find it extreme, Naruto-san, but this is also the way Homare-sensei trained me in the art of the sword. Also, from what you told me earlier, I imagine that we won't achieve that... thing you mentioned if I go easy on this one" he finished, glancing back at Enkou.

"Be that as it may, I will not have my student killed for something so trivial" the blond pushed, still holding tight to the boy's wrist. Surprisingly, it was the heir of the Uchiha who spoke next, shocking the Kyuubi vessel: "Naruto-sensei... please, do not interfere..."

The weakness beaming from the gennin's voice was apparent, his words merely whisper in the air. And yet the note of determination was undeniable. The whisker-marked man, however, was not particularly convinced: "Are you sure of this, Enkou?"

"This is supposed to make me stronger, right?" the boy responded, huffing in between words. "Make it possible... for me to... face that... mist-nin... using my sword... Shindo said it... himself that... with that katana's... ability to... deflect our ninjutsu..., we can't really... rely on... chakra-based attacks... if we fight him again..., so me... using Kusanagi... is our best bet. And, besides... I want to do this."

"Pushing yourself too hard..." the jounin began, but was immediately interrupted by the young Uchiha: "Naruto-sensei, considering what you told me during our survival training... I'd imagine you of all people should understand... backing out is not an option!"

The blond hesitated for a moment, cursing himself in his mind as he did so. In some ways he should've seen this coming and prevent it... but then, there's always that other side of the issue: "_Dammit, he's even worse then I was back in the day... but that also means there's no point in even trying to stop him_" he sighed, letting go of Futai's wrist: "Very well, carry on, but at least try to not go overboard" he asked, going back to his other students.

"I'm surprised" the young samurai admitted once the jounin was out of earshot. "Didn't take you for a person with such conviction" he announced, letting out a small hint of respect in his tone.

"I have a lot to prove" Enkou replied dismissively, readying himself for another clash. "If I wanted it to be easy, I'd have stopped myself long ago" he proclaimed, making Futai smile under his nose. With a nod, the swordsman went into his stance: "Ready?"

The leaf-nin only nodded before the young samurai charged at him once more...

-that evening, nearby cavern-

"Five days, huh?" Kyoushi rather stated then asked, glancing suspiciously at the man named Chuugi. "And how exactly did you obtained that info?" he questioned, knowing that this was purely rhetorical. "But, anyway, this gives us enough time to make all the preparations we need..."

"So you're still going through with this nonsense?" the masked man asked, slightly annoyed with his companion. "They'll know you're coming and those ANBU will eventually realize the trail was meant to lead them astray. You two should use this opportunity to put some distance between yourselves and the pursuit..."

"I am not leaving without Akuratsu" Kyoushi pressed, narrowing his eyes. Seeing his determination, Chuugi merely let out a sigh, glancing over at Kougan: "Then you could, at the very least, leave the boy out of this..."

"No-one's forcing me to do anything, Chuugi-san" the teen assured him calmly, placing the sword on his back. "I am here out of my own, free will. I would imagine you of all people should understand this much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make preparations for our assault" and with that he left the cave, allowing the two men to talk in private.

"His blind devotion towards you will get him killed" Chuugi announced, glancing after the boy. "Do you really wish to do more damage over this matter?" he asked much more politely, a note of worry in his voice. "You can still back out of this. Even without those samurai, that Yellow Maelstrom will still be there..."

"Next time I will beat him" Kyoushi assured him without hesitation. "I'll cut down anyone who would dare to stand in my way. I sacrificed too much to let this go. I'll paint this entire country crimson if I have to... in five days I'll kill Nobunaga Homare... I shall kill Konoha's Yellow Maelstrom... and claim Akuratsu as my own... just like it should have been!"

_**-determinations and reasons bloom... they clash in five days!-**_

And that's that for now... I know – no Rokku or Shindo. Frankly, I don't think their training would be very interesting and their development over the mission takes place outside it anyway, so I figured I'll just concentrate on Enkou (he is the protagonist after all :D). Do not worry, they're still there and they will have their time before the mission in resolved.

Not much to write here. Thanks for reading and until next time.


End file.
